Dwarf cassowary

Casuarius bennetti

(Photo from Zoo Institutes)

Common name:
dwarf cassowary (en); casuar-pequeno (pt); casoar de Bennett (fr); casuario menor (es); Bennettkasuar (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Struthioniformes
Family Casuariidae

Range:
These birds are endemic to the island of New Guinea, both in Indonesia and Papua-New Ginea. They are also present in the surrounding small islands of New Britain, Ceram and Japen.

Size:
The dwarf cassowary is 100-135 cm long and weighs 17-18 kg.

Habitat:
They are found in moist tropical forest, from sea level up to an altitude of 3.600 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on fleshy fruits, collected on the forest floor. They often eat the fruits whole, and the seeds pass undamaged through the gut, making them an important disperser of seeds. They also take other foods, such as fungi, other plant parts, and even lizards and frogs.

Breeding:
Dwarf cassowaries breed in May-November. They are polyandrous, with each female mating with several males during each breeding season. The nest is a pile of leaves, at the base of a tree, where the female lays 3-6 large greenish eggs. The female has no further part in the breeding process, moving on to mate with other males. The male incubates the eggs for 49-52 eggs. The chicks leave the nest within hours of hatching and are able to walk and feed themselves, but the male protects them until they become independent, 7-16 months after hatching. Dwarf cassowaries reach sexual maturity after 4 years.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, the dwarf cassowary is described as generally scarce, but locally common in north-eastern New Guinea. The population is believed to be declining, due to habitat loss and degradation and hunting. Logging and the construction of new roads and airstrips make new areas available for hunters, so the hunting pressure may be becoming worse. Predation by pigs and dogs may be an additional threat to this species.

Quailfinch

Ortygospiza atricollis

Photo by Steve Garvie (Wikipedia)

Common name:
quailfinch (en); bico-de-lacre-codorniz (pt); astrild-caille à face noir (fr); pinzón codorniz (es); wachtelastrild (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Estrildidae

Range:
This species is patchily distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, from Mauritania to Ethiopia and south to South Africa.

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

Habitat:
The quailfinch is found in short, open grasslands, marshes, bogs, agricultural fields and open woodlands, especially near water sources.

Diet:
They forage on the ground, mainly eating grass seeds, but also taking small arthropods, especially termites and spiders.

Breeding:
Quailfinches breed in November-June. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a ball-shaped structure made of grass blades, lined with seeding grass inflorescences and feathers. It is typically placed within or on top of a grass tuft, with the entrance often facing a small patch of bare soil. There the female lays 3-6 white eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 14-15 days. The chicks are brooded and fed by both sexes and fledge 18-20 days after hatching, but only become fully independent about 2-4 weeks later.

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

Common cuckoo

Cuculus canorus

Photo by Chris Romeiks (Vogelart)

Common name:
common cuckoo (en); cuco-canoro (pt); coucou gris (fr); cuco común (es); kuckuck (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae

Range:
This species is found breeding throughout Europe, with the exception of Iceland, and in most of northern and central Asia as far east as Japan and as far south as Iran, northern India and southern China. There are also breeding population in north-west Africa, in Morocco, northern Algeria and Tunisia. They migrate south to winter in sub-Saharan Africa, India and south-east Asia.

Size:
These birds are 32-34 cm long and have a wingspan of 55-60 cm. The males weigh 110-140 g and the females weigh 95-115 g.

Habitat:
The common cuckoo is found in a wide range of habitats, including temperate and tropical forests, savannas, scrublands, grasslands, pastures, marshes and rural gardens. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 3.800 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on adult and larval insects, but will also take spiders and worms.

Breeding:
Common cuckoos are brood parasites, laying their eggs on the nests of other birds. There are over 100 reported hosts, including many common passerines such as reed warblers Acrocephalus sp., meadow pipit Anthus pratensis, white wagtail Motacilla alba, European robin Erithacus rubecula or common redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus. Each female specializes in a particular host species and lays up to 12 eggs in 12 different nests, the eggs being similar to those of the host species. The cuckoo's egg is incubated by the host and hatches after 11-13 days, before the host's eggs start to hatch. The chick will roll the other eggs out of the nest by pushing them with its back over the edge. The chick is fed by its host until fledging, which takes place 17-21 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and a global population estimated at 25-100 million individuals. In Europe, the population has undergone a moderate decline since the 1980s, but overall the common cuckoo is not threatened at present.

Southern bentbill

Oncostoma olivaceum

Photo by Dominic Sherony (Wikipedia)

Common name:
southern bentbill (en); bico-curvo-do-sul (pt); bec-en-arc de Lawrence (fr); mosquerito piquicurvo sureño (es); gelbkehl-krummschnabeltyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
The southern bentbill is found in north-western Colombia and southern Panama.

Size:
These birds are 9-10 cm long and weigh 7-8 g.

Habitat:
The southern bentbill is mostly found in moist tropical forests, but also in moist scrublands and second growths. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.000 m.

Diet:
They are mainly insectivorous, catching insects in flight or collecting them from the branches of trees. they also eat fruits, especially in winter.

Breeding:
The southern bentbill nests in a tinny cup made of weeds and grasses, placed in a branch of a small tree or scrub in the forest undergrowth, 3-5 m above the ground. There the female lays 2 white eggs with brown speckles, which she incubates alone for 19-20 days. 

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

Chestnut wattle-eye

Platysteira castanea

Photo by David Greyo (Oiseaux)

Common name:
chestnut wattle-eye (en); olho-carunculado-castanho (pt); pririt châtain (fr); ojicarunculado castaño (es); weißbürzel-lappenschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Platysteiridae

Range:
This African species is found from Guinea to South Sudan, Uganda and Kenya, and through Gabon and D.R. Congo down to northern Angola.

Size:
These birds are 10-11 cm long and weigh 13-16 g.

Habitat:
The chestnut wattle-eye is found in moist forests and savannas, swamps and rural gardens, from sea level up to an altitude of 1.800 m.

Diet:
They feed on various insects.

Breeding:
The chestnut wattle-eye is monogamous. They nest in a small cup, where the female lays 1-2 glossy blue-green eggs. The female incubates the eggs alone for 17 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 reported to be uncommon to abundant.
The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Horned guan

Oreophasis derbianus

Photo by Thor Janson (Revue)

Common name:
horned guan (en); jacu-cornudo (pt); oréophase cornu (fr); pavón cornudo (es); zapfenguan (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Cracidae

Range:
This species is found in western and central Guatemala and in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas in southern Mexico.

Size:
These birds are 81-91 cm long and weigh up to 2,4 kg.

Habitat:
The horned guan is found in cloud forests with luxuriant undergrowth, at altitudes of 2.000-3.500 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on fruits, flowers and leaves, but can also take some invertebrates.

Breeding:
Horned guans are polygynous, with each male mating with 3-5 females. They breed in January-July and nest high in the canopy, up to 20 m above the ground. The female lays 2 eggs, which she incubates alone for 33-36 days. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching, but may remain with their mother for several months.

Conservation:
IUCN status - EN (Endangered)
This species has a very small and severely fragmented breeding range. The global population is estimated at just 600-1.700 individuals and is suspected to be declining slowly, mainly due to the clearance and degradation of cloud forests through logging, firewood-gathering and agricultural expansion, especially coffee plantations. Hunting for subsistence by local populations and forest degradation by roaming cattle are further threats to the horned guan.

Collared falconet

Microhierax caerulescens

Photo by Guy Poisson (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
collared falconet (en); falcãozinho-de-colar (pt); fauconnet à collier (fr); falconete acollarado (es); rotkehlfälkchen (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Falconiformes
Family Falconidae

Range:
This species is found in from Nepal, southern China ans northern India, through Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, and into southern Vietnam and Thailand.

Size:
This tiny falcon is 15-18 cm long and has a wingspan of 30-34 cm. They weigh 35-50 g.

Habitat:
The collared falconet is found in deciduous and evergreen forests, and in open woodlands, especially in forests clearing and along forest edges. They are present at altitudes of 200-800 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on insects, especially butterflies, but also dragonflies, lantern flies, grasshoppers, beetles, and cicadas. They are also known to hunt small forest birds and lizards.

Breeding:
Collared falconets breed in February-May. They nest in old woodpecker or barbet nests, lined with dry leaves, usually 6-12 m above the ground. There the female lays 4-5 white eggs, sometimes with small reddish spots. The female is responsible for most of the incubation and the chicks are fed by both the breeding pair and up to 3 other adults. There is no information regarding the length of the incubation and fledging periods.

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