Australian painted-snipe

Rostratula australis

Photo by Eric Tan (Feather and Photos)

Common name:
Australian painted-snipe (en); narceja-pintada-australiana (pt); rhynchée d'Australie (fr); aguatero australiano (es); Australier-goldschnepfe (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Charadriiformes
Family Rostratulidae


Range:
This species is endemic to Australian, being mostly found at scattered locations throughout much of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and south-eastern South Australia. It has also been occasionally recorded further west in South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.


Size:
These birds are 22-25 cm long and have a wingspan of 50-54 cm. They weigh 120-140 g.


Habitat:
Australian painted snipes are found in ephemeral and permanent terrestrial shallow freshwater wetlands, and occasionally brackish wetlands, including lakes, swamps, saltmarshes and claypans. It can also occupy modified habitats including sewage farms, dams, bores and irrigation schemes.


Diet:
These birds are mostly crepuscular, eating vegetation, seeds, insects, worms and molluscs, crustaceans and other invertebrates.


Breeding:
They mostly breed in August-March. These birds are polyandrous and the parental roles are reversed, so the females mate and lay eggs in several nests, after which each male is responsible for all duties of incubating and raising the chicks. They are loosely colonial, although nests are widely separated, and each male constructs the nest among tall vegetation, frequently on small muddy islands, but also sometimes on the shore of wetlands. There the female lays 3-4 cream-coloured eggs with black streaks, which the male incubates for 15-21 days. The chicks are precocial, leaving the nest within hours of hatching, but the male protects and broods them for several weeks.


Conservation:
IUCN status - EN (Endangered)
This species has a large breeding range, but it is sparsely distributed and the global population is estimated at just 1.000-2.500 individuals. The population has undergone a large decline of 20-50% over the last 3 decades, and this decline is likely to continue in the future, being caused by the loss of wetland habitats. The two major causes of this loss have been the drainage of wetlands and the diversion of water to agriculture and reservoirs. The replacement of endemic wetland vegetation by invasive weeds may also render habitats less suitable or even totally unsuitable for the species, and grazing and associated trampling of wetland vegetation by cattle may also be a threat to these birds in certain regions, particularly where grazing tends to become concentrated around wetlands in the dry season.

Purple-crested turaco

Tauraco porphyreolophus

(Photo from Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
purple-crested turaco (en); turaco-de-crista-violeta (pt); touraco à huppe splendide (fr); turaco crestimorado (es); glanzhaubenturako (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Cuculiformes
Family Musophagidae


Range:
This African species is found from Uganda and Tanzania to Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and eastern South Africa.


Size:
These birds are 40-46 cm long and weigh 200-290 g.


Habitat:
Purple-crested turacos are mostly found in dense moist woodlands and evergreen forests, often along river banks. They are also found in thick scrublands, coastal forests, plantations and rural gardens. These birds are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.850 m.


Diet:
They mostly eat the fruits of a wide variety of plants, mostly wild native plants but also cultivated fruits like guava and mulberry. They sometimes also eat insects and snails.


Breeding:
The purple-crested turaco breeds in August -February. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a shallow cup made of twigs and sticks, placed in matted creepers, dense mistletoe or isolated thorn trees, up to 4 m above the ground. The female lays 2-4 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 21-25 days. The chicks fledge 3-5 weeks 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 reported to be localised but quite common in most parts of its southern African range. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and unsustainable levels of hunting in Tanzania, but they seem to be able to adapt to human interference better than other turacos, as they started to move into suburban gardens and alien vegetation.

Grey-backed tachuri

Polystictus superciliaris

Photo by Rafael Fortes (Bird Forum)

Common name:
grey-backed tachuri (en); papa-moscas-de-costas-cinzentas (pt); tyranneau bridé (fr); tachurí gris (es); graunacken-grastyrann (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae


Range:
This South American species is endemic to south-eastern Brazil, being found from Bahia to Minas Gerais and northern São Paulo.


Size:
These birds are 10 cm long and weigh 6 g.


Habitat:
Grey-backed tachuris are found in arid mountain scrublands, deserted pastures and rocky outcrops in savannas and dry grasslands, at altitudes of 900-2.300 m.


Diet:
They feed on small arthropods, namely Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera and Orthoptera.


Breeding:
These birds breed in June-December. The nest is a deep cup made of grasses, leaf fragments, flowers and other plant fibres, and lined with feathers. The nest is placed in the fork of a branch stemming directly from the trunk of a bush, up to 1 m above the ground, and it is attached to the branches with spider webs and silk from butterfly cocoons. The female lays 2 white or light cream eggs, which she incubates alone for 16-19 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15-18 days after hatching, but may continue to receive food for another 1-3 weeks.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range, but it is described as uncommon. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to habitat loss caused by conversion to cattle ranches and mining operations, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Congo peafowl

Afropavo congensis

(Photo from Animal Picture Archive)

Common name:
Congo peafowl (en); pavão-do-Congo (pt); paon du Congo (fr); pavo del Congo (es); Kongopfau (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae


Range:
This African species is endemic to the lowland rainforests of the Congo river basin, in the central parts of D.R. Congo.


Size:
These birds are 60-70 cm long and weigh 1-1,2 kg.


Habitat:
The Congo peafowl is mostly found in lowland primary rainforests, but also in other forests types, including dry forests, often near watersheds. They are present up to an altitude of 1.200 m.


Diet:
They have a fairly diverse diet, which includes various fruits and seeds, as well as insects and other invertebrate.


Breeding:
The breeding season of the Congo peafowl is variable, depending on local rainfall conditions. They are monogamous, apparently living in small family groups, and nest in a scrape or hollow in the ground. The female lays 2-4 eggs, which she incubates alone for 27-28 days. The chicks are precocious and leave the nest soon after hatching, but the parents take care of them for several weeks.


Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a large breeding range, but the global population is estimated at just 2.500-10.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to habitat loss and hunting pressure. Mining and the associated human settlement result in an increasing forest clearing which causes further logging, agricultural development and hunting.

Desert cardinal

Cardinalis sinuatus

(Photo from Wikipedia)

Common name:
desert cardinal (en); cardeal-do-deserto (pt); cardinal gris (fr); cardenal pardo (es); schmalschnabelkardinal (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Cardinalidae

Range:
This species is found in the south-western United States and in northern Mexico.

Size:
These birds are 21 cm long and weigh 24-43 g.

Habitat:
Desert cardinals are found in desert scrublands and mesquite thickets, often along creek beds.

Diet:
These birds do most of their foraging on the ground, eating the seeds of bristlegrass, doveweed, sandbur, pancium, sorghum, and pigweed. They also eat cactus fruit and cottonwood catkins and various insects including grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles, stinkbugs, and cicadas.

Breeding:
Desert cardinals breed in March-August. The nest is a small cup or bowl, made of grass, twigs or bits of tree bark, placed in the mesquite brush or on the ground against a tree trunk. The female lays 2-4 greyish-white eggs with grey or brown speckles, which she incubates alone for 14 days while being fed by the male. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10 days after hatching, but may only become fully independent 1 month later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 8 million individuals. The population has undergone a small decline over the last few decades, mostly because of habitat loss due to human development.

Bluethroat

Luscinia svecica

Photo by Pawel Waclawik (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
bluethroat (en); pisco-de-peito-azul (pt); gorgebleue à miroir (fr); pechiazul (es); blaukehlchen (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae


Range:
These birds are found breeding from northern Europe, across Russia, south to the Himalayas and there is also a population in western Alaska. They winter in southern Europe, the Middle East and southern Asia.


Size:
They are 13-15 cm long and weigh 12-25 g.


Habitat:
The bluethroat is found breeding in low thickets of willow, alder and birch, in uplands and foothills, as well as floodplains, riverbanks and lake shores. They winter mostly winter in both freshwater mashes and saltmarshes.


Diet:
They mostly glean invertebrates from the vegetation, taking flies, ants, beetles and spiders, but will sometimes also eat earthworms, shrimps, small snails and small frogs, and in the winter they often eat seeds and fruits.


Breeding:
Bluethroats breed in April-July. The female builds the nest, a shallow cup made of leaves, small twigs, rootlets, grasses, plant down and moss, and lined with hairs from animals. The nest is hidden in dense vegetation. The female lays 4-7 blue or bluish-green eggs with reddish speckles, which the female incubates alone for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 13-14 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 30-100 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Sora

Porzana carolina

Photo by Joseph Kennedy (Science Blogs)

Common name:
sora (en); franga-d'água-americana (pt); marouette de Caroline (fr); polluela sora (es); Carolinasumpfhuhn (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Gruiformes
Family Rallidae


Range:
This species is found throughout most of North America, breeding from south-eastern Alaska to Newfoundland and south to California, Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico. Some population migrate south to winter from Mexico, through Central America and into Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador.


Size:
These birds are 18-25 cm long and have a wingspan of 30-32 cm. They weigh 50-110 g.


Habitat:
Soras are found in freshwater marshes, flooded fields and swamps with plenty of vegetation for cover. During the winter they also use saltmarshes.


Diet:
They eat various invertebrates, including snails, crustaceans, spiders, and insects, namely beetles, grasshoppers, flies and dragonflies. To some extent they also eat the seeds of various plants, including wild rice Zizania aquatica, crowngrass Paspalum, rice Oryza sativa, spikerushes Eleocharis, duckweeds, pondweeds Potamogeton, panicgrasses Panicum, cordgrasses Spartina, saltgrass Distichlis spicata, hairy crabgrass Digitaria sanguinalis, and bristlegrass Setaria.


Breeding:
Soras breed in April-August. The female builds the nest, a shallow basket made of dead emergent wetland vegetation, attaches to stalks of dense vegetation and placed over or adjacent to water. There she lays 8-13 brown eggs with brown spots, which are incubation by both sexes for 18-20 days. The chicks leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching, but only become independent 4 weeks later. Each pair raises a single brood per season.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the overall population trend is increasing, although some populations are stable.