Mauritius kestrel

Falco punctatus

Photo by Andy Jones (Flickr)

Common name:
Mauritius kestrel (en); peneireiro-das-Maurícias (pt); crécerelle de Maurice (fr); cernícalo de Mauricio (es); Mauritiusfalke (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Falconiformes
Family Falconidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, where it is mainly restricted to the south-western plateau.

Size:
These birds are 20-26 cm long and have a wingspan of around 45 cm. They weigh around 110 g.

Habitat:
The Mauritius kestrel is mainly found in sub-tropical evergreen forests, but an also be seen in degraded and open areas, such as secondary forests and savannas, grasslands and scrublands. They tend to avoid agricultural areas, possibly due to a lack of isolated mature trees to use as vantage points. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 800 m.

Diet:
They mainly prey on the endemic arboreal Phelsuma geckos, but also take small birds, insects and introduced mice and shrews.

Breeding:
Mauritius kestrels are monogamous and territorial, and breed in November-March. They nest in cavities in trees or rocks, or more recently in nests boxes, where the female lays 4-5 white eggs with brown speckles. The eggs are incubated for 28-39 days and the chicks fledge about 5 weeks after hatching and stay in the natal territory until the next breeding season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a small breeding range and a global population estimated at just 250-300 individuals. The current population trend in uncertain, but it may be declining after an increase detected in the last decade. Since the colonizationof the island, deforestation has reduced the forest area in Mauritius to less than 3% of the original, which as greatly limited habitat availability for this species. More recently, the main threats affecting the Mauritius kestrel are poisoning by organochloride pesticide, nest predation by introduced predators such as black rats Rattus rattus, crab-eating macaques Macaca fascicularis, Indian mongooses Herpestes javanicus and feral cats, and high rates of inbreeding due to the small population size. The introduction of exotic plants may also reduce habitat quality and climate change may affect this species through changes in rain patterns. Conservation actions such as supplementary feeding, captive breeding, construction of nest-boxes and nest protection have had some limited success in halting population declines.

Dunnock

Prunella modularis

(Photo from Wikipedia)

Common name:
dunnock (en); ferreirinha-comum (pt); accenteur mouchet (fr); acentor común (es); heckenbraunelle (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Prunellidae

Range:
This species is found throughout Europe and also in eastern Turkey, the Caucasus and northern Iran. The more northern and north.eastern population migrate south to winter along the southern parts of the breeding range as well as in northern Morocco, Tunisia, Lybia and Egypt and in some areas in the Middle East.

Size:
Dunnocks are 13-15 cm long and have a wingspan of 19-21 cm. They weigh 16-25 g.

Habitat:
They are found in a wide range of habitats, including temperate and boreal forests, scrublands, agricultural areas and pastures and also in parks and gardens within urban areas.

Diet:
These birds forage on the ground, taking on various adult and larval insects, spiders and some seeds, especially during winter.

Breeding:
Dunnocks breed in April- June. They can be monogamous but also polygynous, polyandrous or polygynandrous. The nest is  built by the females, consisting of a cup made of twigs, moss, dry leaves, rootlets and varied pieces of plants, which is lined with moss, fur and feathers and typically placed 1-2 m above the ground. Each female lays 4-6 turquoise coloured eggs, but the clutch size can be larger in nested with more than one female. The eggs are incubated for 12-15 days and only females incubate. The chicks are fed by both sexes and fledge 11-12 days after hatching, but continue to receive food from parents for another 2 weeks.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the population in Europe, which represents over 95% of their range, is estimated at 36-78 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Golden-headed manakin

Pipra erythrocephala

(Photo from Flickr)

Common name:
golden-headed manakin (en); cabeça-de-ouro (pt); manakin à tête d'or (fr); saltarín cabecidorado (es); gelbkopfpipra (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pipridae

Range:
These birds are found in northern South America, from Southern panama, through Colombia and Venezuela and into the Guyanas, eastern Ecuador, northern Peru and Brazil north of the Amazon river. They are also found in Trinidad and Tobago.

Size:
The golden-headed manakin is 9-10 cm long and weighs 12-14 g.

Habitat:
These birds are mainly found in the under and midstory of tropical moist forests, but also to some extent in second growths and plantations. they occur from sea level up to an altitude of 2.o00 m.

Diet:
They are frugivorous, taking small fruits which are plucked while in flight or gleaned from the foliage. Their diet is mainly composed of the fruits of Melastomaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae, Araliaceae, Rubiaceae and Araceae.

Breeding:
Golden-headed manakins breed all year round. The males are polygamous, forming a lek where they perform a display to attract females. After copulating with the females the males have no further part in the breeding process. The female builds a shallow cup nest made of
plant fibres, rootlets and a few dead leaves. The nest is placed in a fork in a tree or scrub, typically up to 3 m above the ground, but occasionally as high as 11 m above the ground. There she lays 1-2 yellowish eggs with brown mottles, which she incubates alone for 16-19 days. The chicks are fed by the female alone and fledge 14-20 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. Although the golden-headed manakin is widespread and has a stable population, current rates of deforestation in the Amazon basin may pose a future threat to this species.

Elf owl

Micrathene whitneyi

(Photo from Wangchao)

Common name:
elf owl (en); mocho-duende (pt); chevêchette des saguaros (fr); mochuelo de los saguaros (es); elfenkauz (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Strigiformes
Family Strigidae

Range:
These North American birds are found in desert and arid areas of western Mexico and the southern United States, in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and south-eastern California.

Size:
These tiny owls are 12,5-14 cm long and have a wingspan of about 27 cm. They weigh 35-55 g.

Habitat:
The elf owl is mostly found in arid deserts overgrown with saguaro cacti, thorny scrublands, and mesquite or deciduous riparian woodlands along rivers and streams. They are also found in temperate and moist forests and dry savannas within their range. These birds are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.200 m.

Diet:
They mainly hunt scorpions and insects such as grasshoppers, locusts, mantids, fly larvae, caterpillars, centipedes, and cicadas. Also some small rodents and birds and occasionally small lizards and snakes.

Breeding:
Elf owls breed in April-July. They are typically monogamous and nest exclusively in old woodpecker cavities, either on trees or cacti, 3-10 m above the ground. The female lays 1-5 white eggs, which she incubates alone for 21-24 days while the male brings her food. The chicks are fed by the female with food the male brings to the nest. They fledge 28-33 days after hatching. Each pair raises a single brood per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and a global population estimated at 190.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction through deforestation. They are very dependent on woodpecker holes for nesting, so declines in woodpecker populations within their range will also have a negative impact on the elf owl.

Greater hoopoe-lark

Alaemon alaudipes

Photo by Ahmet Karatas (Flickr)

Common name:
greater hoopoe-lark (en); calhandra-íbis (pt); sirli du désert (fr); alondra ibis (es); wüstenläuferlerche (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Alaudidae

Range:
This species is found in northern Africa, from the Cape Verde islands and northern Senegal, north to Morocco and east to Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, and through the Middle East into Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Size:
These birds are 19-22,5 cm long and weigh 33-40 g.

Habitat:
The greater hoopoe-lark is found in arid and desert areas, including including hot deserts, dry scrublands and to some extent in dry grasslands, from sea level up to an altitude of 2.000 m.

Diet:
They feed on the ground or in low scrubs, mainly taking insects and other invertebrates, but also seeds and sometimes the the fruiting bodies of certain fungi.

Breeding:
Greater hoopoe-larks breed in February-August. The nest is a cup made of small sticks and placed on a low scrub or on the ground, sometimes at the base of a scrub. There the female lays 2-3 eggs which are incubated by both sexes for 17-20 days. The chicks fledge 17-23 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the species is described as common and widespread. The population is estimated to be in decline following recorded regional declines in some parts of their range.

Rufous fieldwren

Calamanthus campestris

Photo by Sohnjoo Mountain (Adventures of the Mountain Man)

Common name:
rufous fieldwren (en); acantiza-ruiva (pt); séricorne roussâtre (fr); sedosito rufo (es); rötelfeldhuscher (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Acanthizidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Australia, being found in the western and southern parts of the country.

Size:
These birds are 12 cm long and weigh 12-15 g.

Habitat:
The rufous fieldwren is found in arid regions, mainly in dry scrublands and dry savannas.

Diet:
They feed mostly on insects, but also take snails, berries and seeds that are gleaned from the ground of from low scrubs.

Breeding:
Rufous fieldwrens breed in September-January. The nest is a domed structure made of plant fibres, placed on the ground or in a low scrub or grass tussock within 1 m of the ground. The female lays 2-3 eggs, which are incubated for 16-17 days. The chicks fledge about 17 days after hatching but only become fully independent 1 month later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be erratic and occasionally locally quite common. the population in West Australia has been estimated at 100.000 individuals. This population is suspected to be in decline owing to habitat loss and degradation, fire, and introduced predators such as cats and foxes.

Violet turaco

Musophaga violacea

Photo by Jim Capaldi (Wikipedia)

Common name:
violet turaco (en); turaco-violeta (pt); touraco violet (fr); turaco violáceo (es); schildturako (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Cuculiformes
Family Musophagidae

Range:
This species is found in West Africa, from Senegal to Nigeria and northern Cameroon.

Size:
These birds are 45 cm long and weigh around 360 g.

Habitat:
The violet turaco is found in moist tropical forests and dry savannas, particularly in gallery forests along rivers and along forests edges. Also in rural gardens and in suburban parks and gardens. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.000 m.

Diet:
They feed on various fruits, berries and seeds.

Breeding:
Violet turacos nest in a fragile platform of twigs and sticks in a leafy tree, about 6 m above the ground. There the female lays 2 white eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 25-26 days. there is no information regarding the fledging period, but the chicks are fed by both parents.

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