Greater racket-tailed drongo

Dicrurus paradiseus

Photo by Kai Hendry (Wikipedia)

Common name:
greater racket-tailed drongo (en); drongo-de-raquetes-grande (pt); drongo à raquettes (fr); drongo de raquetas grande (es); flaggendrongo (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Dicruridae

Range:
This species is found in India and Nepal, through Bangladesh and Indochina and into Indonesia.


Size
These birds are 31-36 cm long and weigh 70-125 g.

Habitat:
The greater racket-tailed drongo is found in tropical moist forests, swamp forests, mangroves and also in degraded patches of former forests and plantations.

Diet:
They have a varied diet, including insects such as ants, bees, beetles, dragonflies, locusts, mantids, moths and termites, but also nectar and fruits. They catch insects either in flight or by pounding on them from the air.

Breeding:
These birds breed in February-August. The nest is saucer-shaped and built by both sexes. It is made of intricately intertwined roots and leaves, lined with finer materials and placed in a fork in a tree. The female lays 3-4 creamy-white eggs with reddish-brown blotches, which are incubated by both sexes for 15-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 17-28 days after hatching, but oonly become fully independent 4-6 weeks later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
The greater racket-tailed drongo has a very large breeding range and is described as locally common to uncommon. There is no information regarding population trends, but they are negatively affected by ongoing habitats loss within their range, namely in Java and Bali.

Blue-necked tanager

Tangara cyanicollis

Photo by Biswarup Satpati (Trek Nature)

Common name:
blue-necked tanager (en); saíra-de-cabeça-azul (pt); calliste à cou bleu (fr); tangara cabeciazul (es); azurkopftangare (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriforme
Family Thraupidae

Range:
This South American species occurs in two separate populations. One found along the lower slopes of the Andes, from Venezuela and Colombia south, on the west side of the Andes, to western Ecuador, and, on the east side of the Andes, south to Bolivia. The other population occupies the lowlands of southern Amazone forest, in central Brazil and marginally into eastern Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 12-13 cm long and weigh 14-19 g.

Habitat:
The blue-necked tanager is found in tropical scrublands and dry savannas, as well as in the canopy of primary evergreen rainforests and also in plantations and second growths. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.400 m.

Diet:
They are omnivorous, eating insects, flower buds and fruits. Among others, they are known to eat Miconia berries and Cecropia catkins and fruits.

Breeding:
Blue-necked tanagers can probably breed all year round. They nest in a tree hollow, lined with leaves and moss, where the female lays 2 white eggs with brown spots. The female incubates the eggs alone for 13-15 days, while the male brings her food. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15-20 days after hatching, becoming independent about 3 weeks later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Chukar partridge

Alectoris chukar

Photo by Christodoulos Makris (Trek Nature)

Common name:
chukar partridge (en); perdiz-chucar (pt); perdrix choukar (fr); perdiz chucar (es); chukarhuhn (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae

Range:
This species is found from south-eastern Europe, in Bulgaria and Greece, through Turkey and the Middle East and into central Asia to Pakistan, northern China, Mongolia and southern Russia. The chukar partridge has been introduced to western North America, Hawaii and New Zealand.

Size:
These birds are 32-39 cm long and have a wingspan of 47-52 cm. They weigh 450-800 g.

Habitat:
The chukar partridge is found in scrublands, temperate grasslands and rocky mountain slopes, from sea level up to an altitude of 4.500 m.

Diet:
They feed on shoots, seeds, bulbs and roots of various grasses, but will also take ants and other insects during summer.

Breeding:
Chukar partridges are monogamous. The breed in March-July, nesting on a simple scrape in the ground, sometimes lined with feathers and grasses. The nest is usually placed among ferns or scrubs, or protected by rocks. The female lays 7-21 yellowish-white eggs with brown speckles, which she mostly incubates alone for 22-25 days. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and are able to feed themselves, following their parents and sometimes joining other family groups. They start flying 3-4 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and a global population estimated at 2-10 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Brown thrasher

Toxostoma rufum

Common name:
brown thrasher (en); sabiá-castanho (pt); moqueur roux (fr); cuitlacoche rojizo (es); rotrücken-spottdrossel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Mimidae

Range:
This species is found in southern Canada and the eastern United States, from Alberta and Minnesota to Maine and south to Texas, Louisiana and Florida. The more northern population migrate south to winter along the southern parts of the range.

Size:
These birds are 23-30 cm long and have a wingspan of 29-32 cm. They weigh 60-90 g.

Habitat:
They are mostly found in temperate scrublands and forest edges, but also in woodlands with cottonwood, willow, dogwood, American plum, salt cedar, hawthorn, pitch pine, or scrub oak. Occasionally they are also found in gardens.

Diet:
They mainly feed on insects and other arthropods, namely beetles, grubs, wire-worms, army worms, cutworms, tent caterpillars, gypsy-moth caterpillars, leafhoppers, treehoppers, cicadas, grasshoppers, crickets, wasps, bees and harvestmen, but also some lizards, snakes and tree frogs. They also eat fruits, seeds and nuts.

Breeding:
Brown thrashers are mostly monogamous, but there are some cases of mate-switching even within the same breeding season. They breed in March-July, with both sexes collaborating on building the nest, which consists of a bulky cup made of twigs, dead leaves, thin bark, grass stems, and rootlets. There the female lays 2-6 bluish or greenish eggs with reddish-brown speckles. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 10-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 9-13 days after hatching. Each pair can raise 1-2 broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range. In Canada de population is estimated at 50.000-500.000 individuals, but represents just a small part of the total. The population has undergone a small decrease over the last 4 decades, but it is not threatened at present.

House sparrow

Passer domesticus

(Photo from Wikipedia)

Common name:
house sparrow (en); pardal-doméstico (pt); moineau domestique (fr); gorrión común (es); haussperling (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Passeridae

Range:
The house sparrow originates from Eurasia and northern Africa, but has been introduced to most of the world. It is only absent from northern Canada, Alaska and Greenland, central Africa between the Sahara desert and D.R. Congo, western Australia, southern China and south-east Asia and north-eastern Russia. It is also absent from Antarctica.

Size:
These birds are 14-17 cm long and have a wingspan of 19-25 cm. They weigh 25-32 g.

Habitat:
The house sparrow is closely associated with human settlements and buildings, from the largest urban areas to human structures in remote rural areas. It can also be found in a wide range of habitats, including arable and irrigated land, pastures, rural gardens, temperate and tropical forests, grasslands, scrublands and wetlands, but always near human dwellings. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 4.500 m.

Diet:
They mainly eat grains and seeds, including corn, oats, wheat, rice and sorghum, as well as the seeds of wild grasses, but also rely heavily on food discarded by humans and livestock feed. They also hunt some insects, especially when feeding their young.

Breeding:
House sparrow can breed all year round, varying between different parts of their worldwide range. They usually breed in small colonies, each pair nesting in a hole in a building or other human structure, filled with coarse dry vegetation and lined with feather and artificial materials such as paper and string. The female lays 1-10 white, bluish-white, or greenish-white eggs with brown or grey spots, which she mostly incubates alone for 10-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 12-16 days after hatching, only becoming fully independent 2 weeks later. Each pair can raise up to 4 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and a global population estimated at over 540 million individuals. In Europe the population has declined at a moderate rate in recent decades.

White-tailed sabrewing

Campylopterus ensipennis

Photo by Fayard Mohammed (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
white-tailed sabrewing (en); asa-de-sabre-de-cauda-branca (pt); campyloptère á queue blache (fr); colibrí coliblanco (es); weißschwanz-degenflügel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Apodiformes
Family Trochilidae

Range:
This species is found restricted to the Turimiquire Massif and Paria peninsula of north-eastern Venezuela and the Caribbean island of Tobago.

Size:
These birds are 12-13 cm long and weigh 10 g.

Habitat:
The white-tailed sabrewing is mostly found in mature, mountain rainforests, especially along the edges of forest clearings, but can also be found in lowland rainforests and in shade coffee and abandoned plantations. They occur at altitudes of 100-1.830 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on the nectar of bromeliads, but will also hunt small ants, wasps and spiders.

Breeding:
White-tailed sabrewings can breed all year round, but especially in February-May. They are polygynous, with males displaying in a lek to attract females and mating with several females after which they have no further part in the breeding process. The female builds a small cup nest, where she lays 2 white eggs. She incubates the eggs for 16-19 days and raises the chicks until fledging. There is no information regarding the length of the fledgling period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a relatively small breeding range, but it is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be declining slowly, as a result of habitat degradation, mostly through clearance for agriculture and pasture, repeated burning and understorey removal for coffee.

Alder flycatcher

Empidonax alnorum

Photo by Simon Barrette (Wikipedia)

Common name:
alder flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-dos-amieiros (pt); moucherolle des aulnes (fr); mosquero alisero (es); erlenschnäppertyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species is found breedin in northern North America, from Alaska, through most of Canada and into the north-eastern United States as far south as North Carolina and Tennessee. They migrate south to winter from western Venezuela, through Colombia and Ecuador and into Bolivia, Paraguay and northern Argentina, always remaining east of the Andes mountain range.

Size:
These birds are 13-17 cm long and have a wingspan of 21-24 cm. They weigh 12-14 g.

Habitat:
The alder flycatcher breeds around marshes, swamps and other scrub-dominated wetlands, especially in areas with alders and willows. They winter in tropical moist forests and scrublands. This species is present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.300 m.

Diet:
They feed mostly on insects, but will also take some fruits, berries and seeds, especially during winter.

Breeding:
Alder flycatchers are monogamous and nest in a coarse cup made of bark, weeds, stems and grass, and lined with plant down or other soft materials. The nest is placed in a scrub or tree, up to 1,5 m above the ground. The female lays 3-4 creamy-white or buff eggs with dark markings, which she incubates alone for 12-14 days. The chicks fledge 13-14 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 49 million individuals. The population has had a stable trend over the last 4 decades.

Asian stubtail

Urosphena squameiceps

Photo by Robin Newlin (Birds Korea)

Common name:
Asian stubtail (en); rouxinol-rabicurto (pt); bouscarle de Swinhoe (fr); colirobusto de cabeza escamosa (es); kurzschwanz-buschsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae

Range:
This species breeds in Japan, Korea and marginally into south-eastern Russia and north-eastern China. They migrate south to winter in southern China, Taiwan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.

Size:
These birds are 9,5-10,5 cm long and weigh 7,5-11,5 g.

Habitat:
The Asian stubtail breeds in temperate deciduous forests and scrublands, often along rivers and streams. Outsise the breeding season they are mostly found in moist tropical forests, but also in dry grasslands, scrublands and marshes.

Diet:
They mainly feed on the ground and among scrubs, hunting for insects, such as beetles, and other small invertebrates.

Breeding:
Asian stubtails breed in May- July. They are mostly monogamous, but some cases of polygamy have been recorded. The nest is built by the female, in a hole under dead fallen wood, under living trees or in the stream banks. There she lays 5-6 pale pink eggs with pinkish red or reddish brown blotches. The female incubates the eggs alone for 13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 7-9 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is reported to be locally common, with estimates of 10.000-100.000 breeding pairs in China, Korea and Japan. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Negros bleeding-heart

Gallicolumba keayi

Photo by Rob Hutchinson (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
Negros bleeding-heart (en); coração-sangrante-de-Negros (pt); gallicolombe de Negros (fr); corazón sangrante de Negros (es); Negros-dolchstichtaube (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Columbiformes
Family Columbidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the Philippines, where it is found on the islands of Negros and Panay.

Size:
These birds are 25-30 cm long and weigh 175-206 g.

Habitat:
The Negros bleeding-heart is mostly found in dense, closed-canopy rainforests, but also tolerates some secondary forest habitats, including selectively logged forests on limestone, and open and severely degraded forests with a few large trees. They are present at altitudes of 300-1.200 m.

Diet:
There is no information available on the diet of this species, but they mostly forage on the ground and are likely to have an omnivorous diet like similar pigeons.

Breeding:
Negros bleeding-hearts breed in May-August. The female lays 2 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 14-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 12-14 days after hatching, but continue to receive food from the father for another 2 weeks.

Conservation:
IUCN status - CR (Critically Endangered)
This species has a relatively small and fragmented breeding range and the global population is estimated at just 70-400 individuals. The Negros bleeding-heart was fairly common in the 19th century, but become increasingly rare by the 1930s, a decline that is possibly still going on mainly due to habitat loss and fragmentation through clearance for agriculture, timber and charcoal-burning. Primary forests have almost been totally destroyed in both Negros and Panay, where less than 10% of the surface are covered by forests of any kind. Trapping and hunting for food and for the cage bird trade may also be a problem for this species. Some conservation actions are underway, including the protection of some of the remaining primary forests patches in Negros can captive breeding for future reintroduction.

Reunion cuckooshrike

Coracina newtoni

Photo by Theron Seor (Komansava)

Common name:
Reunion cuckooshrike (en); lagarteiro-da Reunião (pt); tuit-tuit (fr); oruguero de Reunión (es); Newton-raupenfänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Campephagidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the island of Reunion, in the Indian ocean east of Madagascar. Within the island it is restricted to two very small areas in the north-west,  Plaine d'Affouches and Plaine des Chicots.

Size:
These birds are 20-22 cm long and weigh about 40 g.

Habitat:
The Reunion cuckooshrike is strictly associated with closed-canopy natural forest, occurring in mixed evergreen subtropical forest that also often includes areas of heath Philippia montana and tamarin Acacia heterophylla. Sometimes they wander into nearby plantations. They are found at altitudes of 1.000-1.800 m.

Diet:
They feed on insects, but will also take some fruits from native plants.

Breeding:
Reunion cuckooshrikes breed in September-April. They neat in cup made of twigs and lichens bound together with spider webs. The female lays 2-3 eggs, which are incubated for 15-17 days. The chicks fledge 20-23 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - CR (Critically Endangered)
This species has a very small breeding range and a global population estimated at just 50 individuals. The Reunion cuckooshrike lost most if its native habitat, being restricted to a very small area, thus being highly sensitive to any habitat changes such as degradation by the invasion of exotic vegetation or forest fires. Nest predation by introduced rats and feral cats causes poor reproductive success and there is still some problems with poaching for food. Additional threats include diseases, disturbance from recreational activities, fire, cyclones, invasive alien vegetation, potential competition with other bird species and habitat degradation caused by rusa deer Cervus timorensis rusa. Finally, having a mountainous distribution that is close to the maximum altitude within its range, this species is potentially susceptible to climate change. Conservation actions underway include protection of the remaining habitats, with a logging ban, control of exotic plants, fire breaks, better control of hunting, curbing of tourism, and action to reduce deer numbers. Rat and cat populations are also being controlled through the setting of poisoned baits, accompanied by the trapping of rats and cats to monitor their populations. 

Crescent-chested warbler

Parula superciliosa

Photo by Raul Padilla (Bird Forum)

Common name:
crescent-chested warbler (en); mariquita-de-peito-manchado (pt); paruline à croissant (fr); chipe pechimanchado (es); schmuckwaldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae

Range:
This species is found in Central America, from northern Mexico to Nicaragua.

Size:
These birds are 10,5-12 cm long and weigh 8-10 g.

Habitat:
The crescent-chested warbler occupies humid to semi-humid pine-oak forest, oak, and oak-evergreen forests, at altitudes of 900-3.500 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on insects, but will also take fruits and berries.

Breeding:
Crescent-chested warblers are monogamous and breed in April-July. The nest is a cup made of green moss and lined fine plant fibers, grass stems, and hair, which is placed on top of a grassy tussock or on a bank near the ground. There the female lays 2-3 white eggs, which she incubates alone for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed by both sexes and fledge 8-10 days after hatching. Each pair raises 1-2 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 50.000-500.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.

Common flameback

Dinopium javanense

Photo by James Eaton (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:common flameback (en); pica-pau-de-dorso-vermelho (pt); pic à dos rouge (fr); pito culirrojo (es); feuerrückenspecht (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae

Range:
This species is found in two separate areas, in south-western India and from north-eastern India and Bangladesh, through Indochina and into southern China, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Size:
These birds are 28-30 cm long and weigh 67-100 g.

Habitat:
The common flameback is tropical moist forests, especially open, secondary forests, but also in dry deciduous woodlands, scrublands, mangroves, arable land, plantations and within urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.700 m.

Diet:
They eat small insects, such as ants and cockroaches, larvae and also small scorpions, which they catch by gleaning, probing and pecking on the lower levels of the trees.

Breeding:
Common flamebacks breed in November-July. They nest in a cavity excavated on the trunk of a tree, typically less than 5 m above the ground. The clutch consists of 2-3 eggs. there is no information regarding the incubation and fledgling periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be locally fairly common to uncommon. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Yellow-bellied greenbul

Chlorocichla flaviventris

Photo by Ian White (Flickr)

Common name:
yellow-bellied greenbul (en); tuta-amarelo (pt); bulbul à poitrine jaune (fr); bulbul de vientre amarillo (es); gelbbauchbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species is found in sub-Saharan Africa, from Angola and northern Namibia in the west, through southern D.R. Congo and Zambia and into Kenya, southern Somalia, Mozambique and north-eastern South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 20-22 cm long and weigh 32-52 g.

Habitat:
The yellow-bellied greenbul is found in tropical forests and scrublands, especially areas of thick undergrowth in clearings in riverine and coastal forests, but also in dry miombo and mopane savannas, rural gardens, mangroves and semi-arid scrublands.

Diet:
They mainly eat fruits, but also seeds, flowers and insects. They are also known to take ticks from mammals such as impalas.

Breeding:
Yellow-bellied greenbuls breed in September-March. The nest is a fragile, thin-walled cup built of tendrils, twigs, dry grass and other plant fibres, typically attached with spider web to the foliage of a sapling, scrub or creeper. The female lays 1-3 eggs, which she incubates alone for 14 days. The chicks are fed and brooded by both parents and fledge 16-18 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as widespread and generally common. The population in Mozambique has been estimated at 40.000 individuals, but represents only a small part of the global range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Thick-billed parrot

Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha

Photo by Ernesto Enkerlin (Neotropical Birds)

Common name:

thick-billed parrot (en); (pt); conure à gros bec (fr); cotorra serrana occidental (es); arasittich (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Psittaciformes

Family Psittacidae

Range:

This species is mostly restricted to the western Sierra Madre, in western Mexico, although it was breeding in southern Arizona and New Mexico until recently and reintroduction efforts are underway in those areas of the United States.

Size:

These birds are 38-43 cm long and weigh around 300 g.

Habitat:

The thick-billed parrot is found in temperate conifer, mature pine-oak, pine and fir forests. They breed at altitudes of 2.000-2.700 m but outside the breeding season can range to altitudes of 1.200-3.600 m.

Diet:

They feed primarily on the seeds of several pine species, especially Mexican white pine Pinus ayacahuite, Durango pine Pinus durangesnsis, Arizona pine Pinus arizonica, Mexican pinion pine Pinus cembroides, Pinus strobiformis, Chihuahua pine Pinus leiophylla, Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa, Apache pine pinus engelmannii, weeping pine Pinus lumholtzi and Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii. They also steal acorns from acorn woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus granaries and eat the juniper berries and nectar from agave flowers.

Breeding:

Thick-billed parrots breed in June-October, when pine cones are more abundant. They nest in tree cavities, often originally excavated by woodpeckers. There the female lays 2-4 creamy-white eggs, which she incubates alone for 25-28 days while being fed by the male. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 59-65 days after hatching, but only become fully independent up to 7 months later.

Conservation:

IUCN status - EN (Endangered)

This species has a small breeding range and a global population estimated at 2.000-2.800 individuals. The population is suspected to be declining rapidly, due to clearance and degradation of old-growth forests within their range. Logging, drug growing and cattle grazing are the main reasons for forest clearance in the region. Illegal trade may also be a threat to this species, although it is believed to be a much smaller problem now than in the past. Some of the conservation measures underway include forest protection, management agreements for responsible logging and captive breeding with the objective of reintroducing the species to the United States.

Elegant sunbird

Aethopyga duycenbodei

Photo by Mark Thibault (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
elegant sunbird (en); beija-flor-elegante (pt); souimanga des Sangi (fr); suimanga elegante (es); Sangihenektarvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Nectariniidae

Range:
At present, the elegant sunbird in endemic to the Indonesian island of Sangihe, located north of Sulawesi, but there are historical records of this species on the nearby island of Siau.

Size:
These birds are 12 cm long.

Habitat:
The elegant sunbird is found in primary rainforests, forests edges, and in adjacent moist scrublands and plantations. They are present at altitudes of 75-1.000 m.

Diet:
They feed on the nectar of various plants, including coconuts, but will also take small invertebrates, sometimes being seen collecting insects caught in spider webs.

Breeding:
Elegant sunbirds probably have two mating season, one starting in May and another in November. The clutch size is 2 eggs which are incubated for 14-17 days, but there is no information regarding the length of the fledgling period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - EN (Endangered)
This species has a restricted breeding range and a global population estimated at just 13.000-29.000 individuals. Despite its tolerance to secondary habitats, this species is suspected to be declining at a moderate rate, mostly due to agricultural intensification and continued agricultural encroachment of the last few primary forest, especially at lower altitudes. There are some plans to protect some of the remaining areas of forest in Sangihe, which could help halt further population declines in this species.

Chestnut-backed antbird

Myrmeciza exsul

Photo by Ned Haight (Neotropical Birds)

Common name:
chestnut-backed antbird (en); formigueiro-de-corso-castanho (pt); alapi à dos roux (fr); hormiguero dorsicastaño (es); braunrücken-ameisenvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thamnophilidae

Range:
This species is found from Guatemala south to western Colombia and Ecuador.

Size:
These birds are 14 cm long and weigh 24-32 g.

Habitat:
The chestnut-backed antbird is mostly found on the understorey of mature evergreen rainforests, but can also occur in second growths, abandoned plantations and drier forests. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.

Diet:
They feed on a variety of invertebrates, including beetles such as Cerambycidae, Curculionidae, Carabidae, Chrysomelidae, cockroaches and their eggs, grasshoppers, crickets, earwigs, bugs, caterpillars, spiders, centipedes and mantids. They occasionally also take small frogs and lizards, phasmids and a few seeds. Sometimes they follow army ant swarms to hunt.

Breeding:
Chestnut-backed antbirds are monogamous. The nest is an untidy open cup made of dead leaves, rootlets, dead ferns and moss, and lined with rhizomorphs. There the female lays 1-2 whitish eggs with brown or purplish blotches, which are incubated by both parents for about 16 days. The are fed by both parents and fledge 11 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Striped crake

Aenigmatolimnas marginalis

Photo by John Carlyon (Zest for Birds)

Common name:
striped crake (en); franga d'água-estriada (pt); marouette rayée (fr); polluela culirroja (es); graukehl-sumpfhuhn (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Gruiformes
Family Rallidae

Range:
This species is patchily distributed in West Africa, from Ghana to Congo and also in the area from Uganda, Kenya and eastern D.R. Congo, south through Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and northern Mozambique and into northern Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Size:
These birds are 18-21 cm long.

Habitat:
The striped crake is mostly found in seasonally flooded grasslands with marsh grasses, but also in shallow lakes and rivers, abandoned rice fields and nearby savanna.

Diet:
They feed on invertebrates, such as beetles, grasshoppers, moths, flies, spiders, snails and earthworms, and also small fishes and tadpoles.

Breeding:
Striped crakes are polyandrous, with each female mating with multiple males and having no further part in the breeding process after laying. In southern Africa they breed in December-March. The nest is a small saucer-shaped structure, built of dry grass and concealed in a grass tuft, where the female lays 3-5 eggs which are incubated for 17-18 days. The chicks leave the nest 4-5 days after hatching and rely on the father for protection until fledging, which takes place 46-53 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range but the global population is estimated at just 670-17.000 individuals. The population is thought to be in decline owing to continued habitat loss and degradation through overgrazing, damming, draining and cultivation of seasonal and ephemeral wetlands, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Daurian redstart

Phoenicurus auroreus

Photo by Mathew Poll (Birds Korea)

Common name:
Daurian redstart (en); rabirruivo-dáurico (pt); rougequeue aurore (fr); colirrojo dáurico (es); spiegelrotschwanz (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species breeds in south-eastern Russia, eastern Mongolia, Korea and north-eastern and central China. They migrate south or east to winter in Japan, southern China, extreme north-eastern India, Myanmar and northern Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

Size:
These birds are 15 cm long and weigh 11-20 g.

Habitat:
The Daurian redstart is found in sparse, open sub-alpine forests and forest edges, forest clearings, scrublands, riverine thickets, orchards, parks and gardens. It can also be seen near human settlements. They mostly breed at altitudes of 2.500-3.700 m but can be found and lower altitudes outside the breeding season.

Diet:
They feed on arthropods, berries and seeds. Spiders and caterpillars are the main prey during the breeding season, while berries and seeds are more important during the rest of the year.

Breeding:
Daurian redstarts are monogamous and territorial. They breed in April-August and nest in a hole on the ground, on a tree, rock, wall, bank or cliff, or even on old buildings, up to 1,5 m above the ground. The nest cup is made of straw, bark, moss and rootlets, and lined with soft grass, hair and feathers. There the female lays 3-6 eggs that can be pinkish, whitish, pale greenish or pale blue with brown markings. The eggs are incubated for 16-18 days and the chicks fledge 2 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common in most of its breeding range, although rare on the northern edge of its range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

African thrush

Turdus pelios

Photo by Steve Garvie (Wikipedia)

Common name:
African thrush (en); tordo-africano (pt); merle africain (fr); zorzal africano (es); Kapdrossel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Turdidae

Range:
This species is found in sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Sudan and south to Angola, Zambia and western Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 20-23 cm long and weigh 45-70 g.

Habitat:
The African thrush is found in well wooded areas, including dry tropical forests, moist tropial forests, dry savannas and moist scrublands. That are also found in agricultural areas, plantations and pastures, from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m.

Diet:
They are omnivorous, eating insects, earthworms, millipedes, snails, spiders, fruits, berries and seeds.

Breeding:
African thrushes can breed all year round. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a cup-shaped structure made of grasses, herbs, weeds, roots and earth laid out in a clockwise manner, and lined with fine plant materials. The nest is placed on a thick tree branch, 6-8 m above the ground. The female lays 2-3 pale greenish-blue eggs with brown lavender markings, which she incubates alone for about 14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-16 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status -LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be frequent to common. The population trend is difficult to determine because of uncertainty over the impacts of habitat modification on population sizes.