Brown-headed parrot

Poicephalus cryptoxanthus

Common name:
brown-headed parrot (en); papagaio-de-cabeça-castanha (pt); perroquet à tête brune (fr); lorito de cabeza parda (es); braunkopfpapagei (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Psittaciformes
Family Psittacidae

Range:
This species is found in East Africa, from southern Kenya, through Tanzania and Mozambique, and into Zimbabwe and north-eastern South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 22 cm long and weigh 120-160 g.

Habitat:
The brown-headed parrot is found in open, dry savannas and forests, riverine woodlands and sometimes also in coconut plantations, agricultural areas and mangroves. They occur from sea level at an altitude of 1.200 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on seeds, fruits, berries and flowers, but also young shoots, pods, Aloe nectar and also millet and maize from cultivated areas. They sometimes also eat caterpillars and ants.

Breeding:
Brown-headed parrots breed in April-August. They nest in tree cavities, often in old woodpecker nests, 4-10 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-4 white eggs, which she incubates alone for 26-30 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and leave the nest 50-54 days after hatching. After this they move to a nursery area, usually an area with densely leaved trees with water nearby. They become fully independent about 28 days later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be locally common. The brown-headed parrot may be declining in some areas, and suffering range contractions, mostly due to habitat loss and illegal trapping for wild bird trade. Still, overall the species is not considered threatened at present.

Scarlet-chested sunbird

Chalcomitra senegalensis

Photo by Mike Pope (World-Birds)

Common name:
scarlet-chested sunbird (en); beija-flor-de-peito-escarlate (pt); souïmanga à poitrine rouge (fr); suimanga pechiescarlata (es); rotbrust-glanzköpfchen (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Nectariniidae

Range:
This species is found in sub-Saharan Africa, from southern Mauritania and Guinea to Ethiopia and south to northern Namibia and north-eastern South Africa. The scarlet-chested sunbird is absent from the Congo river basin and from the coastal regions around the Gulf of Guinea.

Size:
These birds are 13-15 cm long and have a wingspan of 25-30 cm. They weigh 10-14 g.

Habitat:
The scarlet-chested sunbird is mostly found in dry savannas and scrublands, but also in dry grasslands, orchards and rural gardens, arable land and urban parks and gardens.

Diet:
They feed on the nectar of various flowers, namely Erythrina, Leonotis, Loranthus, Aloe, Tithonia, Schotia, Kniphofia, Crotalaria, Callistemon, Canna, Tapinanthus, Bombax, Phragmanthera and Albizia, but show some preference for large red blooms. They also eat spiders and insects such as grubs, ants, termite alates, caterpillars, crickets, leafhoppers, beetles and flies.

Breeding:
Scarlet-chested sunbirds can breed all year round, varying between different parts of their range. they are monogamous solitary nesters and the female builds the nest alone. The nest is a suspended oval or pear-shaped structure, made of grasses, dead leaves, plant down and spider webs, decorated with seeds, leaves, strings, feathers and even pieces of paper. it is suspended from the tip of a branch, 2-10 m above the ground. There the female lays 1-3 cream, greenish or pinkish eggs with darker markings, which she incubates alone for 13-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15-20 days after hatching.

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

Himalayan bulbul

Pycnonotus leucogenys

Photo by Jerome Boisard (Flickr)

Common name:
Himalayan bulbul (en); tuta-de-faces-brancas (pt); bulbul à joues blanches (fr); bulbul de mejillas blancas (es); weißohrbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species is found along the southern foothills of the Himalayas, in Bhutan, Nepal, northern India, northern Pakistan and marginally into Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Size:
These birds are 18-20 cm long and have a wingspan of 25-28 cm. They weigh around 30 g.

Habitat:
They are mainly found in tropical and sub-tropical moist forests and scrublands, but also in rural gardens and even within urban areas. The Himalayan bulbul is present at altitudes of 300-2.400 m.

Diet:
These birds are omnivorous, eating insects such as ants, grubs and beetles, and other invertebrates, as well as fruits, berries, seeds, buds and nectar.

Breeding:
Himalayan bulbuls breed in March-August. The nest is a small cup made of dry stems, grasses and shreds of vegetable fibres, and lined with finer materials such as dry grass stems or grass roots. It is placed on a thorny scrub or low tree branch, up to 2 m above the ground. There the female lays 3 pinkish eggs with red speckles, which are incubated for 12 days. The chicks fledge 9-11 days after hatching. Each pair may raise 2-3 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, the Himalayan bulbul is described as generally common to abundant. The population is suspected to be increasing as the species benefits from deforestation.

Short-toed snake-eagle

Circaetus gallicus

Photo by Denis Haltebourg (Nunda Foto)

Common name:
short-toed snake-eagle (en); águia-cobreira (pt); circaète Jean-le-Blanc (fr); águila culebrera (es); schlangenadler (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Falconiformes
Family Accipitridae

Range:
This species is found  breeding from the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco in the west, through southern and central Europe as far north as the Baltic and through Turkey and southern Russia, into the Caucasus and the Middle East and as far east as southern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and northern Afghanistan. They migrate south to winter in sub-Saharan Africa across the Sahel belt and in the Indian sub-continent.

Size:
These birds are 62-70 cm long and have a wingspan of 170-190 cm. They weigh 1,2-2,3 kg.

Habitat:
The short-toed snake-eagle uses a wide range of habitats, usually preferring mixed areas which include forested areas for nesting and open areas rich with reptiles. They are found in temperate forests, dry savannas, grasslands, dry scrublands and even deserts. This birds occur from sea level up to an altitude of 2.300 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on snakes of up to 1,5 m in length, but also other reptiles, amphibians, small mammals and rarely other birds and invertebrates.

Breeding:
Short-toed snake-eagles breed in April-October. The nest is relatively small for such a large bird, being constructed from sticks and twigs and lined with green leaves or grass. It is usually placed in a tree, or more rarely on a cliff ledge. There the female lays a single white egg, which she mostly incubates alone for 45-47 days. The chick is fed by both parents and fledges 60-80 days after hatching. It becomes independent soon after fledging.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population size estimated at 51.400-156.000 individuals. In the past, this population suffered declines caused by habitat loss and shooting. At present, although there is still some illegal shooting in wintering and migration areas, like Malta, the population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

White-headed buffalo-weaver

Dinemellia dinemelli

(Photo from Scientific Library)

Common name:
white-headed buffalo-weaver (en); tecelão-de-cabeça-branca (pt); alecto à tête blanche (fr); bufalero cabeciblanco (es); starweber (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Ploceidae

Range:
This species is found in East Africa, from South Sudan and Ethiopia, through Kenya and Somalia and down to central Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 17-19 cm long and weigh 57-85 g.

Habitat:
The white-headed buffalo-weaver is mostly found in semi-arid habitats, namely dry scrublands and thorny savannas, but sometimes also in dry tropical forests and along rivers and creeks. They are typically found from sea level up to an altitude of 1.400 m.

Diet:
They forage on the ground or in thorny scrubs. They eat insects, mostly beetles and caterpillars, but also take various fruits and seeds.

Breeding:
The breeding season of the white-headed buffalo-weaver depends on rainfall and varies between different parts of their range. The nest is an oval structure made of dry grass stems and lined with softer materials such as grass, leaves and feathers. The outside is covered with thorny sticks and twigs, for protection against predators, and there is a short entrance tube that opens downwards. The nest is suspended from a branch in a tree, 2-4 m above the ground. The female lays 3-5 greyish to pale blue eggs with brown and olive markings, which she incubates alone for 11-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 3 weeks after hatching.

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

Yellow-rumped cacique

Cacicus cela

Photo by Dave Nunez (Flickr)

Common name:
yellow-rumped cacique (en); xexéu (pt); cassique cul-jaune (fr); cacique lomiamarilo (es); gelbrücken-stirnvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Icteridae

Range:
These birds are found in northern South America, from Bolivia and south-eastern Brazil to Venezuela, Colombia and Panama.

Size:
The males are 27-29 cm long, while the smaller females are 23-25 cm long. The males weigh 100-115 g and the females weigh 65-75 g.

Habitat:
These birds are found along the edges of rainforests and swamp forests. Originally they were found along rivers and oxbow lakes, but now also along roads, pastures, and other human-created edge habitats. They may sometimes be found in dry forests and savannas. The yellow-rumped cacique occurs from sea level up to an altitude of 1.100 m.

Diet:
They mainly eat arthropods, such caterpillars, grasshoppers, crickets, katydids and spiders, but will also eat fruits, namely chupa-chupa Quararubea cordata and figs Ficus trigona. They are also known to raid the nests of other birds for eggs and nestlings.

Breeding:
The yellow-rumped cacique breeds in July-February. The males are polygynous, sequentially matting with several females during the course of the breeding season, but guarding each female until egg laying. They nest in colonies of 20-100 nests, each nest being built by the female and consisting of a long, hanging bag made of palm fronds, twigs and grasses. The nests are placed hanging from a branch in a low tree, often over water and near wasp nests, which may protect them from predators. There the female lays 2 pale blue or white eggs with dark blotches, which she incubates alone for 13-15 days. The chicks fledge around 25 days after hatching. Each female may raise 2-3 clutches per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common throughout most of its range. Models of deforestation in the Amazon basin suggest the yellow-rumped cacique is loosing suitable habitat at a moderate rate, which may be causing population declines. However, since this species occupies edge habitats, it will probably benefit, at least in the short term, from human activities such as road construction or clearing of forests that create more edge habitats, as long as some large trees and patches of forest remain. Overall, this species is not considered threatened at present.

Himalayan snowcock

Tetraogallus himalayensis

Photo by Rémy Lecolazet (Oiseaux)

Common name:
Himalayan snowcock (en); galo-das-neves-dos-Himalaias (pt); tétraogalle de l'Himalaya (fr); perdigallo himalayo (es); Himalayakönigshuhn (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae

Range:
This species is found across the Himalayas, from eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, through northern India and Nepal and north into western China and eastern Kazakhstan.

Size:
These birds are 54-74 cm long and have a wingspan of 86-97 cm. They weigh 2-3,6 kg.

Habitat:
The Himalayan snowcock is found in high, open, steep mountain slopes, between the tree-line and the snow-line, mostly in alpine grasslands and rocky areas. They occur at altitudes of 3.600-4.600 m.

Diet:
They feed on plant matter such as rushes, tubers, leaves, young shoots, berries, grasses and grass seeds.

Breeding:
Himalayan snowcocks breed in April-July. They are monogamous and nest in a depression on the ground, lined with dry grasses and feathers, situated amongst tussocks of grass, and often protected by rock or boulders, or in caves. There the female lays 6-12 olive or brown eggs with reddish-brown blotches, which she incubates alone for 25-28 days while the male stands guard. The precocial chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and follow the parents until the nest breeding season.

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