Greater coucal

Centropus sinensis

Photo by J.M. Garg (Wikipedia)

Common name:
greater coucal (en); cucal-real (pt); grand coucal (fr); cucal grande (es); heckenkuckuck (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae


Range:
This species is found in southern Asia, from India to southern China and Indonesia.


Size:
This large cuckoo is 47-53 cm long and weighs 230-270 g.


Habitat:
The greater coucal is found in a wide range of habitats, including dry grasslands and scrublands, forests edges, mangroves, freshwater marshes, river banks and rural gardens. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.


Diet:
They feed on large insects and caterpillars, snails, small mammals, lizards, bird eggs and nestlings, fruits and seeds.


Breeding:
Greater coucals breed mostly in June-September. The male builds the nest, a large globular mass of grasses, leaves and twigs. It is placed in dense vegetation inside tangles of creepers, bamboo clump or Pandanus crowns, up to 6 m above the ground. The female lays 3-6 chalky white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 15-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 18-22 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be common almost everywhere throughout its range. Overall the species is believed to be stable, but some populations are locally threatened by habitat loss.

Souimanga sunbird

Cinnyris sovimanga

(Photo from Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
souimanga sunbird (en); beija-flor-de-Madagáscar (pt); souimanga malgache (fr); suimanga malgache (es); Malegassennektarvogel (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Nectariniidae


Range:
This species is found in Madagascar, and in the nearby archipelagos of Aldabra and Glorioso.


Size:
These birds are 10-11 cm long and have a wingspan of 13-14 cm.


Habitat:
The souimanga sunbird is found in tropical and sub-tropical forests, mangroves and scrublands, but also in gardens, parks and degraded patches of former forest. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.300 m.


Diet:
They mostly eat the nectar of various flowers, but will also hunt small insects and spiders.


Breeding:
Souimanga sunbirds breed in August-March. The female builds the nest, a dome-shaped structure made of grass stems, coconut fibre and leaves. It has a side entrance and is usually suspended from a branch 1-2 m above the ground. The female lays 2 whitish eggs with reddish mottles, which she incubates alone for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 16-18 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is described as abundant. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Palmchat

Dulus dominicus

Photo by Luis Alberto (Wikipedia)

Common name:
palmchat (en); tordo-das-palmeiras (pt); esclave palmiste (fr); cigua palmera (es); palmschwätzer (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Dulidae


Range:
This species is endemic to the island of Hispaniola, in the Caribbean, including the adjacent islands of Saona and Gonâve.


Size:
These birds are 20 cm long and weigh around 50 g.


Habitat:
The palmchat is found in palm savannas and grasslands with scattered trees, also being found in urban parks and gardens. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.500 m.


Diet:
They mainly eat fruits and berries, especially from palm trees and gumbo-limbo trees, but also eat flowers and buds of epiphytic orchids.


Breeding:
Palmchats breed in March-June. They build large, messy, communal nests of twigs in the crowns of palm trees, or sometimes in other trees or even telephone poles. These may include up to 30 nests. Each female lays 2-4 grey-purple eggs with dark spots but there is no available information on incubation and fledging times.


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

Spinifex pigeon

Geophaps plumifera

(Photo from Wikipedia)

Common name:
spinifex pigeon (en); pombo-plumífero (pt); colombine plumifère (fr); paloma plumífera (es); rotschpftaube (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Columbiformes
Family Columbidae


Range:
This species is endemic to Australia. There are two separate subspecies, G. p. plumifera is found in arid areas of northern, north-western and north-eastern Australia, while G. p. ferruginea is found in Pilbara, Western Australia.


Size:
These birds are 20-24 cm long and weigh 90-110 g.


Habitat:
Spinifex pigeons are mostly fround in dry spinifex grasslands and in arid stony hills and rocky outcrops, but sometimes also in dry woodlands.


Diet:
They mostly eat the seeds of grasses and herbs, especially Triodia, but will also take some insects and green plants.


Breeding:
The spinifex pigeon breeds in August-January. They nest on a scrape in the ground, sometimes lined with vegetation and usually sheltered by a small scrub, rock or spinifex tussock. The female lays 2 creamy-white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 16-18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 9-11 days after hatching.


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

Sombre greenbul

Andropadus importunus

Photo by Carmelo López (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
sombre greenbul (en); tuta-sombria (pt); bulbul importun (fr); bulbul sombrío (es); schlichtbülbül (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae


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


Size:
These birds are 15-18 cm long and weigh around 26 g.


Habitat:
They are mostly found in dry scrublands, usually near the coast, but can also be found in dry savanna, forest, moist scrubland, rivers, bogs, marshes, agricultural land and urban areas.


Diet:
Sombre greenbuls mostly eat fruits, namely those of Azima tetracantha, Carissa, Cussonia, Ficus, Hippobromus pauciflorus, Rhus, Scutia myrtina, Sideroxylon inerme, Viscum and Lantana camara. They also eat succulent leaves, flowers, buds and nectar of Aloe and sometimes hunt insects and snails.


Breeding:
These birds breed in September-April. The female builds the nest alone, consisting of an open, flimsy cup made of rootlets, twigs, grass and other plant material. It is usually placed in a fork of or at the end of a tree or bush branch, 1-4 m above the ground. There she lays 1-3 white eggs with brown markings, which she incubates alone for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed and brooded by both parents and fledge 10-14 days after hatching, but only become fully independent a few weeks later.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
The sombre greenbul has a very large breeding range and is reported to be abundant along the coast and common inland. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Black-necked aracari

Pteroglossus aracari

Photo by Fabiano Guimarães (Aves da Zona da Mata Mineira)

Common name:
black-necked aracari (en); araçari-de-bico-branco (pt); araçari grigri (fr); arasarí cuellinegro (es); schwarzkehlarassari (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Ramphastidae


Range:
This South American species is found from eastern Venezuela and through the Guyanas, into Mato Grosso and Goiás in central Brazil. There is also a disjunct population in south-eastern Brazil.


Size:
These birds are 35-46 cm long and weigh 180-310 g.


Habitat:
Black-necked aracaris are mostly found in tropical and sub-tropical moist lowland forests, but also in dry forests, dry savannas and even in plantations. They are mostly found from sea level up to an altitude of 600 m but can sometimes be found as high as 1.000 m above sea level.


Diet:
They are mostly frugivorous, taking a wide variety of forest fruits, but will also hunt some insects.


Breeding:
The black-necked aracari breeds in February-August. They nest in tree hollows, often using old woodpecker nests. The nest is usually 7-12 m above the ground. The female lays 2-4 white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 16-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 40-42 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and, although he global population size has not been quantified, it is described as common. The south-eastern subspecies P. a. vergens is suspected to be in decline due to severe habitat fragmentation caused by farming and urbanisation. The species is also hunted throughout its range but it is not considered threatened at present.

Arctic skua

Stercorarius parasiticus

Photo by Jari Peltomäki (Luonto Portti)

Common name:
Arctic skua (en); moleiro-parasítico (pt); labbe parasite (fr); págalo parásito (es); schmarotzerraubmöwe (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Charadriiformes
Family Stercorariidae


Range:
These birds breed across the northern latitudes of the northern hemisphere, as far south as Scotland and as far north as Svalbard. The migrate south, passing over all oceans and wintering as far south as South Africa, southern Australia and Tierra del Fuego.


Size:
These birds are 41-48 cm long and have a wingspan of 107-125 cm. They weigh 300-650 g.


Habitat:
Arctic skuas nest island and along the mainland coasts, in areas of tundra near freshwater bodies. Outside the breeding season then spend most of their time on the ocean, typically within a few kilometres of land.


Diet:
These birds are kloptoparasites, obtaining most of their food by stealing fish from auks, gulls and terns. They will also eat small rodents, adult and fledgling passerines, wader chicks, birds eggs, insects and berries.


Breeding:
The Arctic skua breeds in May-August. They form loose colonies, with each pair nesting in a shallow depression on the ground, lined with grasses and lichens. There the female lays 2 greenish-grey eggs with brown markings, which are incubated by both parents for 25-28 days. The chicks leave the nest within 2 days of hatching, but will stay with the parents and receive regurgitated food from both parents until fledging, which takes place 25-30 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 0,5-10 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.