Scarlet robin

Petroica multicolor

Photo by Kevin Agar (Flickr)

Common name:
scarlet robin (en); rouxinol-escarlate (pt); miro écarlate (fr); petroica escarlata (es); Australienscharlachschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Petroicidae

Range:
This species is found in south-eastern and south-western Australia, in Tasmania and Norfolk island, and in Fiji, Samoa, Solomon islands, Vanuatu and the Bougainville islands of Papua-New Guinea.

Size:
These birds are 12-13,5 cm long and weigh 12-14 g.

Habitat:
The scarlet robin is mostly found in dry forests and savannas, namely Eucalyptus stands, but also in moist tropical forests, rural areas, plantations and within urban areas.

Diet:
They mainly feed on insects and other arthropods, namely Coleoptera, Collembola, Diptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Pseudoscorpionida and Araneae.

Breeding:
Scarlet robins breed in August-March. The female builds the nest alone, a neat cup made of spider webs, fine bark, moss and grass, lined with fine bark, fur, feathers and hairs. It is placed in a tree or sometimes in a scrub, 2-14 m above the ground. The female lays 1-4 pale blue, green or grey eggs with olive-brown splotches, which are incubated for 15-18 days. The chicks fledge 15-17 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is reported to be locally fairly common. The population is estimated to be in decline following a possible range contraction owing to habitat loss, as well as predation pressure from introduced species such as cats and black rats Rattus rattus.

Silvery-cheeked hornbill

Bycanistes brevis

(Photo from Wikipedia)

Common name:
silvery-cheeked hornbill (en); calau-de-crista (pt); calao à joues argent (fr); cálao cariplateado (es); silberwangenhorvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Bucerotidae

Range:
This species is patchily distributed from northern Ethiopia, through Kenya and Tanzania and into central Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Size:
These birds are 60-75 cm long and weigh 1-1,5 kg.

Habitat:
The silvery-cheeked hornbill is found in mountain and coastal tropical forests, in gallery forests and in dry savannas with tall trees. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.600 m.

Diet:
They forage on the forest canopy, mainly eating the fruits and berries of various plants including Ficus, Syzygium, Dracaena, Newtonia, Khaya and Strychnos. They sometimes also eat flowers. They also hunt animals, namely lizards, young birds and eggs, fruit bats, insects, centipedes and spiders.

Breeding:
Silvery-cheeked hornbills are monogamous, solitary nesters. They breed in September-April, nesting in a natural cavity in a trunk or large branch of a tree, 7-25 m above the ground. The same cavity is often reused in multiple breeding seasons. There the female lays 1-2 white eggs, which she incubates alone for about 40 days while the male brings her food. the female remains in the nest with the chicks until fledging, while the male brings food. The chicks fledge 77-80 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large but patchy breeding range. Although the global population size has not been quantified, the silvery-cheeked hornbill is reported to be locally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Prairie warbler

Dendroica discolor

Photo by William Hull (Mango Verde)

Common name:
prairie warbler (en); mariquita-da-pradaria (pt); paruline des prés (fr); chipe galán (es); rostscheitel-waldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae

Range:
This species is found breeding in southern Ontario, Canada, and across the eastern United States from Maine to Michigan and Iowa, and south to the Gulf coast from eastern Texas to Florida. The population in Florida is resident, but all others migrate south to winter in the northern Caribbean, as far south as Montserrat, and along the Atlantic coast of southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and northern Nicaragua.

Size:
These birds are 10-12 cm long and have a wingspan of 18-19 cm. they weigh 6-9 g.

Habitat:
They are mostly found in dry scrublands and along forest edges, but also in rural gardens. The resident population in Florida prefers mangroves. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on insects, including caterpillars, moths, tree crickets, lacewings, bugs, beetles, aphids, leafhoppers and grasshoppers, and also spiders and millipedes. Sometimes they also take berries and tree sap.

Breeding:
Prairie warblers nest in loose colonies and males can mate with several females. They breed in May-July  and the nest is an open cup made of plant down and lined hairs. It is placed low in a tree or scrub, usually less than 3 m above the ground. The female lays 2-5 pale brownish or grey eggs with brown spots, which she incubates alone for 11-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 8-11 days after hatching, but only become fully independent 4-5 weeks later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least  Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 1,4 million individuals. The overall population seems to be stable or only slightly decreasing, but significant declines were reported along the western parts of their breeding range, mostly due to habitat loss caused by human development and afforestation.

Thick-billed flowerpecker

Dicaeum agile

Photo by Umang Dutt (Flickr)

Common name:
thick-billed flowerpecker (en); pica-flores-de-bico-grosso (pt); dicée à bec épais (fr); picaflores picogrueso (es); dickschnabel-mistelfresser (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Dicaeidae

Range:
This species is found in southern Asia, in several disjunct populations. The subspecies D. a. agile is found across most of India, in northern Pakistan and Nepal. The subspecies D. a. modestum is found from eastern Bangladesh and Myanmar to Vietnam and southern Thailand and there are another 11 isolated subspecies spread across Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia and East Timor.

Size:
These birds are 10-12 cm long and weigh around 9 g.

Habitat:
The thick-billed flowerpecker is mostly found in moist tropical and sub-tropical forests and scrublands, but also in some dry forests and plantations.

Diet:
They mainly feed on berries, fruits and nectar, but will also take some insects and spiders.

Breeding:
Thick-billed flowerpeckers breed in December-June. The nest is a purse-like bag, made of plant fibres, spider webs and plant down, placed hanging from a thin horizontal branch of a tree, 3-15 m above the ground. The nest is often placed near ant nests, possibly for protection. The female lays 2-4 rosy-white or pink eggs with brownish spots, which are incubated for around 13 days. The chicks fledge about 18 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status -  LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be rare to not uncommon. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Montezuma quail

Cyrtonyx montezumae

Photo by Simon Valdez (Flickr)

Common name:
Montezuma quail (en); codorniz-de-Montezuma (pt); colin arlequin (fr); colín de Moctezuma (es); Montezumawachtel (de)

Taxonomy:
OrderGalliformes
Family Odontophoridae

Range:
This species is found across Mexico and marginally into the southern United States in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

Size:
These birds are 21-23 cm long and weigh 175-210 g.

Habitat:
The Montezuma quail is found in oak savannas, pine-oak woodlands, scrublands and mixed conifer woodlands, at altitudes of 1.000-3.000 m.

Diet:
They forage on the ground, digging for bulbs or succulent forbs and sedges, and picking seeds, acorns, fruits and some insects. The bulbs of Cyperus sp. are particularly important during winter.

Breeding:
Montezuma quails breed in June-August. They nest on the ground, in a structure woven with grass placed under vegetation cover. There the female lays 6-12 chalky white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 25-26 days. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and are able to feed themselves, but follow the parents who show them where to find food. The chicks start flying 10 days after hatching and become independent about 1 week later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 1,5 million individuals. The Montezuma quail has had stable population trends over the last 40 years so it is not threatened at present.

Black-headed sibia

Heterophasia desgodinsi

Photo by Hung Do Manh (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
black-headed sibia (en); sibia-de-cabeça-preta (pt); sibia de Desgodins (fr); sibia cabecinegra (es); schwarzkopftimalie (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is found in in northern Myanmar, southern China, Laos and Vietnam.

Size:
These birds are 21,5-24,5 cm long.

Habitat:
The black-headed sibia is found tropical and sub-tropical moist mountain forests, at altitudes of 800-2.900 m.

Diet:
They forage on the forest canopy, or occasionally near the ground, taking insects, grubs, berries and also nectar.

Breeding:
Black-headed sibias breed in April-August. The nest is made of plant fibres and placed in a fork in a tree. The female lays 1-3 blue eggs with reddish-brown blotches, which she incubates alone for 14-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15-17 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as common in China, but uncommon in Vietnam. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing destruction and fragmentation of their forest habitats.

Red-bellied woodpecker

Melanerpes carolinus

Photo by Tom Friedel (Wikipedia)

Common name:
red-bellied woodpecker (en); pica-pau-de-ventre-vermelho (pt); pic à ventre roux (fr); carpintero de Carolina (es); Carolinaspecht (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae

Range:
This species is found throughout the eastern United States, from South Dakota and Michigan to Massachusetts and south to the Gulf coast from Florida to southern Texas. It is also found in southern Ontario, Canada.

Size:
These birds are 23-27 cm long and have a wingspan of 38-46 cm. They weigh 55-90 g.

Habitat:
They are mostly found in temperate forested, namely oak-hickory forest, pine-hardwood forest, maple and tulip-poplar stands, and pine flatwoods. They can also be found in swamp forests, tropical forests, dry savannas, plantations and rural gardens, especially along rivers and streams. The red-bellied woodpecker is sometimes found within urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 900 m.

Diet:
Red-bellied woodpeckers are omnivorous, eating fruits, acorns, seeds, berries and tree sap, but also arboreal arthropods such as ants, flies, grasshoppers, beetle larvae, caterpillars and spiders. They are also known to take small vertebrates such as lizards, frogs, small fishes, nestling birds and eggs.

Breeding:
These birds breed in March-June. Both sexes excavate a hole in a dead tree, usually a hardwood or pine, or sometimes on a dead branch of a live tree or a fence post. There the female lays 2-6 white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 11-12 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 24-26 days after hatching. They usually raise a single brood, or occasionally 2 broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the population is estimated at 10 million individuals. The red-bellied woodpecker has undergone a small increase over the last 40 years and it is not threatened at present.

fruits, nuts, seeds, berries and tree sap