Blue-headed vireo

Vireo solitarius

Photo by Brandon Holden (Ontario Field Ornithologists)

Common name:

blue-headed vireo (en); vite-vite-de-cabeça-azul (pt); viréo à tête bleue (fr); vireo anteojillo (es); graukopfvireo (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Vireonidae

Range:

This species breeds in Canada east of the Rockies and in the north-western United States. They migrate south to winter in the south-eastern United States, along eastern Mexico and through Central America as far south as Panama.

Size:

These birds are 13-15 cm long and have a wingspan of 20-24 cm. They weigh 13-19 g.

Habitat:

The blue-headed vireo breeds in open deciduous and coniferous forests. In winter they are mostly found in scrubland, brush and thicket.

Diet:

These birds are insectivorous, taking medium to large-sized insects. In winter they also eat some fruits.

Breeding:

Blue-headed vireos breed in May-August. Both sexes build the nest, a bulky cup suspended from a fork in tree branch. There the female lays 3-5 creamy white eggs with dark spots. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 13-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 13-14 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population of 7 million individuals. This species has undergone a large increase over the last 4 decades, equating to a 58.1% increase per decade.

Golden-fronted leafbird

Chloropsis aurifrons

Photo by Paul Cullen (Picasa)

Common name:

golden-fronted leafbird (en); verdim-de-testa-dourada (pt); verdin à front d'or (fr); verdín de frente dorado (es); goldstirn-blattvogel (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Chloropseidae

Range:

This Asian species is found from India and Sri Lanka, through Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh, and into southern China, Myanmar, Laos, Singapore and Vietnam. They are also found in the Indonesian island of Sumatra, although some authors consider the local subspecies C. a. media as a separate species.

Size:

The golden-fronted leafbird is 18-19 cm long and weighs up to 45 g.

Habitat:

These birds are found in the canopies of deciduous woodland, evergreen broadleaf forests, forest edges, secondary growth (including bamboo), wooded stands in coffee and tea estates and wooded gardens. They can also be found in dry scrubland. They are present from plain level up to an altitude of 1.800 m.

Diet:

They mostly eat nectar, insects, spiders, and fruits such as guava, berries and figs.

Breeding:

The golden-fronted leafbird breeds in May-August. They nest is a shallow cup made of fine twigs, moss and leaves, which is attached to a thin branch high up in a tree. There the female lays 2-4 pale cream eggs speckled with brown. The eggs are incubated for 14-15 days and the chicks fledge 13 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common to fairly common throughout much of this range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Eastern reef-egret

Egretta sacra

Photo by Peter Strauss (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:

eastern reef-egret (en); garça-dos-recifes-oriental (pt); aigrette sacrée (fr); garceta costera oriental (es); riffreiher (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Ciconiiformes

Family Ardeidae

Range:

This species is found along the western Pacific coast, from Japan down to Thailand and all the way to Bangladesh and India. Then south, through Indonesia and Papua-New Guinea, and into Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and many islands in Polynesia.

Size:

The eastern reef-egret is 57-66 cm long and has a wingspan of 90-110 cm. These birds weigh 400 g.

Habitat:

These birds live on beaches, rocky shores, tidal rivers and inlets, mangroves, and exposed coral reefs.

Diet:

Eastern reef-egrets mostly eat fish, molluscs and crustaceans.

Breeding:

These birds can breed all year round, nesting in colonies in the jungle, between palms and mangroves or in cavities of old buildings. The nest is a platform made of sticks, twigs and leaves and lined with seaweed. There the female lays 2-4 green-blue eggs which are incubated by both parents for 25-28 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 5-6 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population of 100.000-1.000.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

American avocet

Recurvirostra americana

Photo by Don Debold (Wikipedia)

Common name:

American avocet (en); alfaiate-americano (pt); avocette d'Amérique (fr); avoceta americana (es); Amerikanischer säbelschnäbler (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Charadriiformes

Family Recurvirostridae

Range:

These birds breed in the western Canada and in the western United States, from Washington to Minnesota and south to California and Texas. They winter in California and Texas, along the Gulf coast to Florida and south to Guatemala.

Size:

The American avocet is 43-47 cm long and has a wingspan of 68-76 cm. They weigh 340 g.

Habitat:

These birds are common in mudflats, ponds, wetlands, and freshwater marshes and swamps. They are also found in lakes, rocky and sandy seashores, bay or coastal islands, and tidal flats.

Diet:

American avocets mostly eat aquatic insects, crustaceans, worms and small fish, but also seeds and aquatic plants.

Breeding:

These birds breed in April-June. They typically nest in colonies, sometimes mixed with black-necked stilts Himantopus mexicanus. Each pair nests in a shallow depression lined with grass on a beach or mudflat, where the female lays 4 olive-buff eggs blotched with brown and black. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 22-29 days. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching, and are able to find their own food, but depend on their parents for protection against predators and harsh weather. They fledge 4-5 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and the global population size is estimated at 100.000-1.000.000 individuals. The overall population trend is stable, but local declines have been observed in different parts of its range, possibly due to pollution and destruction of wetland habitats.

Black-headed bunting

Emberiza melanocephala

Photo by Mark Jobling (Wikipedia)

Common name:

black-headed bunting (en); escrevedeira-de-cabeça-preta (pt); bruant mélanocéphale (fr); escribano cabecinegro (es); kappenammer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Emberizidae

Range:

This species is found breeding in southern Europe, from Italy and Greece to Turkey, and eastwards to Iran. They migrate south-east to winter in western and central India.

Size:

The black-headed bunting is 16-17 cm long and has a wingspan of 26-30 cm. They weigh 27-30 g.

Habitat:

These birds typically breed in mountain slopes, favouring fairly dense and tall bushy and scrub vegetation, including open maquis, wooded steppes, orchards, olive groves, and vineyards, and groves or thickets along streamsides, roadsides, or field borders. They are also found breeding in open forest with undergrowth and in open lowland grassland with scrub, especially thorn scrub. In winter they are usually found in scrub jungle and in cultivated fields.

Diet:

They mostly eat seeds and other plant material, namely cultivated crops including cereals and sunflower seeds. They also eat invertebrates, especially during the breeding season.

Breeding:

These birds breed in May-June. The nest is a loose, untidy foundation of stalks, grass, and leaves, lined with fine grasses, stems, rootlets, hair, and sheep’s wool. Often there are brightly-coloured flower-heads on outside the outside. The nest is usually placed in dense, often thorny shrub bramble, rose, rockrose, Christ’s thorn and commonly on vine. The female lays 4-5 pale grey to brown eggs which are incubated by both sexes for 13-15 days. The chicks fledge 13-15 days after hatching. typically each pair only produces 1 brood per season.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population size of 10-50 million individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to changing agricultural practices and the removal of hedges and shrubs from parts of its range.

Brown cuckoo-dove

Macropygia amboinensis

Photo by Julian Robinson (Tree of Life)

Common name:

brown cuckoo-dove (en); rola-cuco-castanha (pt); phasianelle d'Amboine (fr); tórtola-cuco pechirrosa (es); dunkle kuckuckstaube (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Columbiformes

Family Columbidae

Range:

This species is found from the Philippines, south through Borneo and Sumatra, through the Moluccas and Sulawesi into New Guinea. They are also found in Australia, throughout north-eastern and eastern Queensland, including off-shore islands, and eastern coastal areas of New South Wales.

Size:

The brown cuckoo-dove is 35-43 cm long and weighs 240 g.

Habitat:

This species is mostly found in rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests, particularly at the forest edges, along creeks and rivers. They can also be found in secondary growth forests, forest clearings and in abandoned farmland and scrubland.

Diet:

The brown cuckoo-dove feeds on a wide variety of fruits, berries and seeds. They usually feed in the trees, often hanging upside down to reach fruit.

Breeding:

This species mostly breeds in July-December, but probably all year round. The nest consists of a flat platform of twigs, sticks and vines, placed either in a fork of a tree or on top of a low tree. There the female lays 1-2 creamy white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 16-18 days. The chicks are cared for by both parents and fledge about 16 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, the species is described as frequent to common. The population is suspected to be stable and may be expanding in range as it may benefit from disturbance to habitat by logging and track-making.

Secretarybird

Sagittarius serpentarius

Photo by Stephen Krasemann (Encyclopaedia Britannica)

Common name:

secretarybird (en); serpentário (pt); messager sagittaire (fr); secretario (es); sekretär (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Falconiformes

Family Sagittariidae

Range:

The secretarybird is found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal and The Gambia in the west across to Ethiopia in the east, and extending southwards through the eastern African countries into South Africa. They are notably absent from the Namibe desert and from the dense tropical forests around the equator.

Size:

These birds are 90-140 cm long and have a wingspan of 180-215 cm. They weigh 2,3-4,3 kg.

Habitat:

The secretarybird prefers open savannas and grasslands with scattered trees and scrubs. They are also found in semi-arid slightly wooded areas, in Acacia thornveld and pastures. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m.

Diet:

These birds are opportunistic predators, taking a wide variety of prey. The majority of their diet is made up of arthropods, including grasshoppers, beetles, spiders, scorpions and wasps; and small mammals, including mice, rats, hedgehogs, hares and mongooses. Other prey include small and young birds, eggs, amphibians, freshwater crabs, lizards, small tortoises, chameleons and snakes.

Breeding:

Secretarybirds are monogamous and believed to pair for life. They can breed al year round, building a nest out of sticks, creating a large platform on a flat-topped Acacia tree or other thorny bush, and lining it with dry grass and other materials. There the female lays 1-3 chalky-white eggs with reddish-brown streaks. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 42-46 days and. The chicks are fed by both parents and typically only 2 chicks survive. The chicks fledge 64-106 days after hatching but only become fully independent 2-3 months later.

Conservation:

IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)

Although this species has an extremely large breeding range, the global population of 10.000-100.000 individuals seems to be undergoing a rapid decline in various parts of the range. Although the species may benefit from deforestation, such positive effects may be outweighed by the negative impacts of spreading cultivation and urbanisation. The excessive burning of grasslands may suppress populations of prey species, whilst the intensive grazing of livestock is also probably degrading otherwise suitable habitat. Other threats include human disturbance, illegal capture and trade, direct hunting and indiscriminate poisoning.

Large elaenia

Elaenia spectabilis

Photo by Luis Florit (Luis Adrián Florit's Homepage)

Common name:

large elaenia (en); guaracava-grande (pt); élénie remarquable (fr); fiofío grande (es); graubrust-olivtyrann (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Tyrannidae

Range:

This South American species is found from Colombia, through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil, and into Paraguay and Argentina.

Size:

These birds are 18 cm long and weigh 26-30 g.

Habitat:

These birds are found in tropical and sub-tropical moist lowland forests, especially along forest edges. They are also found in dry scrublands and cerrado habitats.

Diet:

The large elaenia feeds on arthropods and fruits.

Breeding:

These birds breed in November-March. They build a cup-shaped nest using vegetable fibers, roots, lichens and mosses. The nest is placed on a fork in a tree about 5-8 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-3 cream-coloured eggs with dark marks, which are incubated by both sexes for 14-15 days. The chicks are fed insects and fruits by both parents and fledge 15-17 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

The large elaenia has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, this species is described as common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Tickell's blue-flycatcher

Cyornis tickelliae

Photo by J.J. Harrison (Wikipedia)

Common name:

Tickell's blue-flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-de-Tickell (pt); gobemouche de Tickell (fr); niltava de Tickell (es); braunbrust-blauschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Muscicapidae

Range:

This Asian species is found from India and Sri Lanka, through Bangladesh and Nepal, and into Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Size:

These birds are 11-12 cm long and weigh 8-10 g.

Habitat:

The Tickell's blue-flycatcher is mostly found in dry forests, scrubland, bamboo and gardens. They can also be found in arable land and plantations.

Diet:

They feed mainly by capturing insects in flight but their prey include other insects such as termites and earwigs that may be gleaned or picked from the ground.

Breeding:

Tickell's blue-flycatcher breed in March-August. They nest in a hole in a tree or amongst rocks, lined with fine grasses and fibres. There the female lays 3-5 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 10-12 days. The chicks are cared for by both sexes and fledge 10-11 days after hatching, but continue to be fed by their parents for another week.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as locally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Red-and-green macaw

Ara chloroptera

(Photo from Taringa)

Common name:

red-and-green macaw (en); arara-vermelha-grande (pt); ara à ailes vertes (fr); guacamayo rojo (es); grünflügelara (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Psittaciformes

Family Psittacidae

Range:

This species is found throughout much of northern South America, ranging from Panama to Paraguay and east to the Guianas and Trinidad, through Brazil and south to Argentina.

Size:

The red-and-green macaw is 88-92 cm long and has a wingspan of 110-120 cm. They weigh 1.250-1.700 g.

Habitat:

They are mostly found in the canopies of lowland tropical forests, especially in gallery forests along rivers, but also in isolated tree stands, secondary vegetation and even in coconut and moriche palm plantations.

Diet:

Their diet consists of seed, nuts, fruit, berries and buds, spending most of their day feeding in the treetops.

Breeding:

Red-and-green macaws are monogamous and believed to pair for life. They breed in November-March, nesting in tree hollows, or in crevices in cliffs. The female lays 1-3 eggs, which she incubates alone for 25-28 days while being fed by the male. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 90-100 days after hatching. Even after fledging the young remain with their parents for up to 2 years.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has an extremely large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, this species is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and unsustainable levels of exploitation, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Crested tit

Lophophanes cristatus

Photo by Mark Medcalf (Wikipedia)

Common name:

crested tit (en); chapim-de-poupa (en); mésange huppée (fr); herrerillo capuchino (es); haubenmeise (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Paridae

Range:

This European species is found from Portugal and Spain, throughout most of Europe, as far north as northern Scandinavia and has far east as the Urals in western Russia. The south-eastern edge of its distribution lays along the mountains of Greece, Bulgaria and southern Ukraine.

Size:

The crested tit is 11-12 cm long and has a wingspan of 18 cm. They weigh 10,5-12 g.

Habitat:

They are mostly found in temperate coniferous ans mixed forests. They are also present in boreal coniferous forests, Mediterranean woodlands and scrublands as well as in gardens and parks.

Diet:

Crested tits mostly eat insects, caterpillars and spiders, but in winter they will also eat plant material, namely conifer seeds.

Breeding:

These birds breed in March-June. They nest in a hole in decaying or dead tree trunk, sometimes using old woodpecker nests. there the female lays 5-6 eggs which she incubates alone for 13-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 20-25 days after hatching, but continue to depend on their parents for food for another 3-4 weeks. Each pair may produce 1-2 clutches per year.

Conservation:

IUCN status- LC (Least Concern)

The crested tit has a very large breeding range and a global population of 8,6-32,3 million individuals. The population has undergone a moderate decline over the last three decades, mostly due to changes in forestry practices, but the species has also expanded its range in some regions due to the increase and spread of commercial conifer plantations.

Crested gallito

Rhinocrypta lanceolata

Photo by Aline Wolfer (Oiseaux d'Argentine)

Common name:

crested gallito (en); tapáculo-de-crista (pt); tourco huppé (fr); gallito copetón (es); schopfbürzelstelzer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Rhinocryptidae

Range:

This species is found in south-eastern Bolivia, western Paraguay and in Argentina down to Rio Negro.

Size:

The crested gallito is 21 cm long and weighs 52-64 g.

Habitat:

These birds are found in moist savannas and lowland dry scrublands and thorny woodlands. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.800 m.

Diet:

Crested gallitos feed only on the ground, mainly eating insects and spiders. They may also eat berries when in season.

Breeding:

These birds are monogamous and may form permanent pair bonds. They build a globular nest in a bush, near the groud, using root fibers, grass, moss, and a few small twigs. There the female lays 2 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 16-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-15 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a large breeding range, but is described as uncommon. Thes population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Guianan trogon

Trogon violaceus

Photo by Anselmo d'Affonseca (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:

Guianan trogon (en); surucuá-violáceo (pt); trogon violacé (fr); surucuá violeta chico (es); veilchentrogon (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Trogoniformes

Family Trogonidae

Range:

This South American species is found in southern Venezuela, through the Guianas and into northern Brazil. It is also present in the island of Trinidad.

Size:

This small trogon is 23-25 cm long and weighs 56 g.

Habitat:

These birds are found in low elevation humid forests. They tend to be found in the tree canopy of the forest interior but may also be present around clearings, forest edges, streams and rivers, and in tree plantations.

Diet:

Guianan trogons eat arthropods and small fruits, gleaning ants, locusts and spiders from foliage, but also attacking wasp nests.

Breeding:

These birds mostly nest in large arboreal wasp nests, but sometimes also in termite hills and ant nests. The female lays 2-3 white eggs which are incubated for 16-19 days. The chicks fledge about 17 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

The Guianan trogon has a very large breeding range and is described as locally abundant. The population is suspected to be increasing owing to opening up of forested areas through logging, so this species is not threatened at present.

Graceful prinia

Prinia gracilis

Photo by Rajiv Lather (Birding in India and South Asia)

Common name:

graceful prinia (en); fuinha-elegante (pt); prinia gracile (fr); prinia graciosa (es); streifenprinie (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Cisticolidae

Range:

This species is a resident breeder in north-eastern Africa and south-west Asia, from Egypt and Somalia, through the Middle East and Turkey, and into Pakistan and northern India.

Size:

Graceful prinias are 10-11 cm long and have a wingspan of 12-13 cm. They weigh 6,5-7,5 g.

Habitat:

This species breeds in dry and wet areas of bushes and tall grass, and often on the banks of rivers, ponds and ditches. They use cultivated areas as well as dense undergrowth, tamarisk, reeds and rushes.

Diet:

The graceful prinia is mostly insectivorous, taking insects and caterpillars from the ground, foliage or in flight. They often feed grasshoppers to fledglings.

Breeding:

These birds mostly breed in March-July. They build an oval dome-shaped structure made of dry grasses, leaves, strips of bark, rootlets, and occasionally, cobwebs, lined with finer materials. The nest is placed on the ground within low vegetation or bushes. The female lays 3-5 very light pink eggs with reddish brown spots, which are incubated by both parents for 11-13 days. The chicks are mostly fed by the male, while the female is already preparing for another brood. The chicks fledge 13-14 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, the European population, in Turkey, equates to 3.000-12.000 individuals and represents less than 5% of its range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

White-browed woodswallow

Artamus superciliosus

Photo by Tom Tarrant (Wikipedia)

Common name:

white-browed woodswallow (en); andorinha-do-bosque-de-sobrolho-branco (pt); langrayen bridé (fr); artamo cejiblanco (es); weißbrauen-schwalbenstar (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Artamidae

Range:

This Australian species is found throughout eastern Australia ans northern Tasmania.

Size:

These birds are 19-21 cm long and weigh 35-40 g.

Habitat:

The white-browed woodswallow is found in a wide range of inland habitats, from eucalypt forests and woodlands to dry heaths and spinifex. It can also be found in farmlands, orchards and towns.

Diet:

They mostly eat aerial insects which they catch on the wing. They also eat nectar and small native fruits.

Breeding:

White-browed woodswallows breed in August-December. Both sexes build the nest, a shallow cup made of twigs and plant fibres in a fork, crevice or foliage in a tree or shrub, or sometimes in a vine, creeper, stump or even in artificial structures. There the female lays 2-3 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population has undergone significant declines in parts of their range, mostly due to limitations of food supply and foraging substrates which are depleted by clearing and degradation of the tree and shrub layer, firewood collection, and agricultural development. Still, overall there is no evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Violet-chested hummingbird

  Sternoclyta cyanopectus

Photo by Margareta Wieser (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
violet-chested hummingbird (en); beija-flor-violeta (pt); colibri à poitrine violette (fr); colibrí pechiazul (es); veilchenbrustkolibri (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Apodiformes
Family Trochilidae

Range:
This South American species is only found in northern Venezuela and adjacent Colombia, in the Cordillera de Mérida and the Cordillera de la Costa Central.

Size:
The violet-chested hummingbird is 12-13 cm long and weighs 8-10,5 g.

Habitat:
These birds are mostly found in tropical evergreen forests, but also in second-growth forests and woodlands and even in coffee plantations. They are found from sea level up to an altitude of 1.900 m.

Diet:
They mostly feed on the nectar of Heliconia flowers.

Breeding:
Violet-chested hummingbirds breed in March-July. The female builds the nest alone, an open cup composed of soft plant materials, namely fibers of Bombacaceae, and moss, tree fern Cyathea scales, spider webs, and small pieces of lichen. The nest is usually placed in the forks of branches of various tree species, or sometimes on thin vines and small ferns, about 2 m above the ground. There the female lays 2 white eggs which she incubates alone for 20-21 days. The chicks are only fed by the female and fledge 26 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
Although this species has a restricted breeding range, it is described as fairly common. The population trend is not known, but the population is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to be considered threatened.

Marsh grassbird

Megalurus pryeri

(Photo from Yang Niao)

Common name:

marsh grassbird (en); cigarrinha-do-Japão (pt); mégalure du Japon (fr); yerbera japonesa (es); riedsänger (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Sylviidae

Range:

This Asian species breeds in the island of Honshu, Japan, in north-eastern China and possibly also in neighbouring parts of Russia and Mongolia. They winter further south in Japan and in the Yangtze River basin in south-eastern China.

Size:

These birds are 13-14 cm long and weigh 14-16 g.

Habitat:

Marsh grassbirds prefer dense, mid-height reeds and grasses in shallow water for nesting, with some taller plants for singing posts. They are very sensitive to habitat structure and do not tolerate vegetation that is too short or too tall. They winter in reedbeads.

Diet:

These birds eat small insects including bugs, beetles, soft insects, grubs and capsular larvae from reed sheaths.

Breeding:

The marsh grassbird breeds in June-August. The nests are built up to 35 cm above the ground, in sedges or Japanese pampas grass Miscanthus sinensis. There the female lays 5-6 eggs which are incubated for 11-12 days. The chicks fledge 13-14 days after hatching. Each pair may produce 1-2 clutches per year.

Conservation:

IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)

This species has a moderately small population of just 10.000-15.000 individuals, which is divided into a number of isolated sub-populations over a relatively small breeding range. The population is suspected to be declining as a result of habitat degradation and conversion in both breeding and wintering areas, caused by agricultural expansion, oilfield development, reed harvesting for pulp, and alteration of water-levels through irrigation. Pollution and hunting are also potential threats in China.

Regent honeyeater

Xanthomyza phrygia

Photo by Roger Smith (Flickriver)

Common name:

regent honeyeater (en); melífago-regente (pt); méliphage régent (fr); mielero regente (es); warzenhonigfresser (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Meliphagidae

Range:

This species is endemic to south-eastern Australia, mostly being found in north-eastern Victoria, along the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, New South Wales, and the central coast of New South Wales.

Size:

These birds are 20-24 cm long and have a wingspan of 30 cm. They weigh 40-45 g.

Habitat:

The regent honeyeater is usually found within box-ironbark eucalypt associations, seeming to prefer wetter, more fertile lowland sites. It also uses riparian forests of river she-oak Casuarina cunninghamiana and wet lowland coastal forests dominated by swamp mahogany Eucalyptus robusta or spotted gum Corymbia maculata.

Diet:

They mostly feed on nectar and other plant sugars. They can also feed on insects and spiders, as well as native and cultivated fruits. Nectar is taken mainly from a variety of eucalypt species, especially mugga ironbark, yellow box, white box and yellow gum, and often from mistletoes like the needle-leaf mistletoe and the box mistletoe Amyema miquelii, but also from other plants, both native (Acacia, Banksia and Grevillea) and introduced (Fuchsia and Prunus).

Breeding:

The regent honeyeater breeds in May-March, with a peak in September-November, nesting in individual pairs or, sometimes, in loose colonies. The cup-shaped nests are generally composed of strips of bark and dry grass bound with spider web, usually placed toward the end of large, usually horizontal branches on the crown of an eucalypt up to 20 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-3 pinkish to reddish-buff eggs, which she incubates alone for 12-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 13-17 days after hatching, but remain dependent on their parents for another 3-4 weeks.

Conservation:

IUCN status - EN (Endangered)

This species has a small and fragmented breeding range, and the global population size is estimated at just 1.500 individuals. About 75% of its habitat has been cleared for agriculture and residential development, and remaining habitat is fragmented and continues to decline in quality, thus the population is suspected to be in decline, although the rate of decline has not been estimated. Habitat fragmentation has apparently advantaged more aggressive honeyeaters, particularly the noisy miner Manorina melanocephala, which may be excluding regent honeyeater from some areas.