African darter

Anhinga rufa

Photo by Trevor Hardaker (Trevor and Margaret Hardaker)

Common name:
African darter (en); mergulhão-serpente-africano (pt); anhinga d'Afrique (fr); aninga africana (es); Afrikanische schlangenhalsvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Pelecaniformes
Family Anhingidae

Range:
This species is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, from southern Mauritania to Sudan and south to South Africa. It is also found in Madagascar and there are also isolated population in the Middle East, at Lake Amik in south-central Turkey, in Hula valley lake and marshes in northern Israel and in the marshes of the lower Euphrates and Tigris rivers in southern Iraq.

Size:
These birds are 80-100 m long and have a wingspan of around 120 cm. They weigh 1-1,4 kg.

Habitat:The African anhinga is found in still, shallow, inland freshwater and alkaline lakes and slow-flowing rivers fringed with reeds and trees. They also occur in swamps, reservoirs, forested streams, and occasionally in mangrove swamps, estuaries, shallow tidal inlets and coastal lagoons.

Diet:
They mainly feed on freshwater fishes, mainly Cichlidae and Cyprinidae, but will also take amphibians, water snakes, terrapins, aquatic insects, crustaceans and molluscs.

Breeding:
African darters are monogamous and often colonial. They breed all year round. The
nest is built by both sexes, consisting of an untidy platform of sticks or dead reeds, with a shallow cup in the centre which is lined with grass. It is typically placed in a fork in a tree over water, or alternatively in a reed bed. There the female lays 2-7 eggs which are incubated by both sexes around 22 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 5-7 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and the overall trend is decreasing, although some populations may be stable. Habitat destruction, environmental pollution and persecution because of its wrongly perceived impact on trout and other recreational fish species may have a negative impact on the African darter, but overall the species is not considered threatened.

Dusky-throated antshrike

Thamnomanes ardesiacus

Photo by Marc Chrétien (GEPOG)

Common name:
dusky-throated antshrike (en); uirapuru-de-garganta-preta (pt); batara ardoisé (fr); batará gorgioscuro (es); nördlicher schwarzkehlwürgerling (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thamnophilidae

Range:
This South American species is found in northern Brazil and the Guyanas, in southern Venezuela, southern Colombia and through Ecuador and Peru down to northern Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 13-14 cm long and weigh 13-23 g.

Habitat:
The dusky-throated antshrike is found in the understorey of tropical rainforests and swamp forests, mainly in areas of terra firme.

Diet:
They are insectivorous, searching for their prey on the foliage or by sallying out from a perch. They are also known to join mixed-species flocks and follow ant swarms and will occasionally eat larger prey such as lizards.

Breeding:
Dusky-throated antshrikes nest in a cup made of fungal filaments lined with dry leaves, placed in a fork in a tree, up to 10 m above the ground. There the female lays 2 eggs which are incubated for 11-12 days. There is no information regarding the fledgling period.

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

European greenfinch

Carduelis chloris

Photo by J. Romãozinho (Pescador de Aves)

Common name:
European greenfinch (en); verdilhão (pt); verdier d'Europe (fr); verderón común (es); grünfink (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Fringillidae

Range:
This species is found throughout most of Europe, with the exception of northern Scandinavia, northern Russia and Iceland. They are also found in north-west Africa, from Morocco to Tunisia, and in near Asia, from Turkey, Israel and Jordan, through northern Iran and into southern Kazakhstan. Some of the more northern populations migrate south to winter around the Mediterranean Sea. The European greenfinch was also introduced to south-eastern Australia and New Zealand.

Size:
These birds are 14-16 cm long and have a wingspan of 25-28 cm. They weigh 25-30 g.

Habitat:
The European greenfinch is found in open woodlands, temperate and boreal forests, scrublands, pastures, arable land, plantations and in parks and gardens within urban areas.

Diet:
They mainly feed on seeds, using their powerful bill to break them open, but also take buds, berries, and even some insects during the breeding season.

Breeding:
The European greenfinch breeds in April-August. They are territorial, solitary nesters, but sometimes form loose colonies. The nest is a bulky cup made of dried grasses and moss, and lined with plant fibres, rootlets, fur, feathers and wool.It is placed in a fork in a tree, not very far from the ground. There the female lays 4-6 glossy pale blue or creamy white eggs with reddish markings. The eggs are incubated by female for 13-15 days, while the male provides her with food. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 16-18 days after hatching. Each pair  raises 2-3 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 44,7-128 million individuals. In Europe, the populations has undergone a moderate decline since 1980, but the species is not threatened at present.

Superb fruit-dove

Ptilinopus superbus

Photo by Neil Turner (Wikipedia)

Common name:
superb fruit-dove (en); pombo-da-fruta-pintado (pt); ptilope superbe (fr); tilopo soberbio (es); prachtfruchttaube (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Columbiformes
Family Columbidae

Range:
This species is found in eastern Indonesia, in Papua-New Guinea and along the north-eastern coast of Australia from northern Queensland to northern New South Wales.

Size:
These birds are 21-24 cm long and weigh 80-145 g.

Habitat:
The superb fruit-dove is found in rainforests, along rainforests edges and in mangroves, often along rivers and streams. They are also found in plantations and even within urban areas. This species is found from sea level up to an altitude of 1.600 m.

Diet:
They feed almost exclusively on fruits and berries, namely figs Ficus albipila and Ficus benjamina, Canarium australianum drupes, and Archontophoenix, Calamus and Livistona palm fruit, also the fruits Litsea, Neolitsea Cryptocarya, Cananga odorata, Syzygium and Vitex cofassus. Sometimes they also take seeds and small insects.

Breeding:
Superb fruit-doves breed in September-January. The nest flimsy platform of twigs, placed in a tree or vine 5-30 m above the ground. There the female lays 1 white eggs which is incubated by both sexes for 14 days. The chicks are raised by both parents and fledge as early as 7 days after hatching.

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

White-throated robin

Irania gutturalis

Photo by Abdul Al-Sirha (Kuwait Bird Sightings)

Common name:
white-throated robin (en); rouxinol-de-garganta-branca (pt); iranie à gorge blanche (fr); ruiseñor pintado (es); weißkehlsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This Asian species breeds from Turkey and Israel, through the Caucasus, northern Iraq and Iran, and into northern Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and southern Kazakhstan. They migrate south to winter in East Africa, from Ethiopia to Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 16-17 cm long and have a wingspan of 27-30 cm. They weigh around 22 g.

Habitat:
White-throated robins are found in arid rocky areas, deserts, dry savannas and scrublands, dry grasslands and occasionally in agricultural areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.700 m.

Diet:
They forage on the ground, mainly taking insects and other arthropods, but also fruits.

Breeding:
White-throated robins breed in April-July. They nest in a cup of dry grass leaves, twigs, and bark, placed in a tree crevice, stump or branch, and lined with vegetable down and hair, often some feathers, bits of rag, paper, and sheep wool. There the female lays 3-5 eggs, which are mainly incubated by the female for 12-15 days. The chicks fledge 9-10 days after hatching. Each pair raises a single clutch per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and global population estimated at 2,5-11 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Green-throated mango

Anthracothorax viridigula

Photo by Michel Giraud-Audine (Flickr)

Common name:
green-throated mango (en); beija-flor-de-veste-verde (pt); mango à cravate verte (fr); mango gorgiverde (es); smaragdkehl-mangokolibri (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Apodiformes
Family Trochilidae

Range:
This species is found in north-eastern South America, along the coastal areas from northern Venezuela, through the Guyanas and down to the mouth of the Amazon river, in Brazil. They are also found inland, along the Amazon river up to Manaus.

Size:
These birds are 10-11 cm long and weigh around 9 g.

Habitat:
The green-throated mango is found in moist forests and savannas, mangroves, second growths, marshes, bogs and swamps, from sea level up to an altitude of 500 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on the nectar of a variety of brightly coloured, scented small flowers of trees, herbs, scrubs and epiphytes. They also hunt small spiders and insects, especially during the breeding season, which may be taken from the vegetation of captured in flight.

Breeding:
Green-throated mangos nest in a deep cup, made of plant fibres woven together and green moss on the outside for camouflage. The nest is lined with soft plant fibres, animal hair and feather down, and is placed in a low, thin horizontal branch, in a scrub or tree. The female lays 1-3 white eggs which she incubates alone for 15-16 days while the male defends the territory. The chicks are fed by the female and fledge 24-25 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as uncommon. This species is suspected to be declining locally owing to ongoing habitat loss, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Swamp sparrow

Melospiza georgiana

Photo by Richard Dumoulin (Oiseaux)

Common name:
swamp sparrow (en); escrevedeira-dos-pântanos (pt); bruant des marais (fr); sabanero platanero (es); sumpfammer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae

Range:
The swamp sparrow breeds across most of Canada from the Rocky mountains to Newfoundland and in the north-eastern United States south to Missouri, Ohio and Maryland. Most population migrate south to winter in the eastern United States from Connecticut and Michigan south to Florida and Texas, and also in northern Mexico.

Size:
These birds are 12-14 cm long and have a wingspan of 18-19 cm. They weigh 11-24 g.

Habitat:
The swamp sparrow is found in various wetland habitats, namely freshwater and tidal marshes, bogs, wet meadows, and swamps.

Diet:
During spring and summer they are mostly insectivorous, eating various aquatic invertebrates, but they also eat seeds and fruits, which become the main food source during autumn and winter.

Breeding:
Swamp sparrows are monogamous. The nest is a bulky open cup of dry grasses, sedges, plant stalks, and leaves, lined with fine grass, plant fibres, and occasionally hair. It is placed in dense cattails, grasses, or scrubs, or sometimes on the ground. There the female lays 2-6 green of bluish-green eggs with brown blotches, which she incubates alone for 12-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10-13 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 9 million individuals. The population has undergone a large increase of 16% per decade over the last 40 years, so the swamp sparrow is not threatened at present.

Missouri, Ohio, and Maryland,