Horus swift

Apus horus

Photo by Mikael Nord (Praktejder)

Common name:
horus swift (en); andorinhão-horus (pt); martinet horus (fr); vencejo horus (es); horussegler (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Apodiformes
Family Apodidae

Range:
This species is patchily distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, with population in Nigeria, Chad, Sudan and Ethiopia, and through East Africa into their main stronghold in Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. There are also some scattered population in Angola and Namibia.

Size:
These birds are 15 cm long and have a wingspan of 33-35 cm. They weigh around 26 g.

Habitat:
The horus swift is mostly found over open areas, such as grassland, fynbos, desert, lakes, semi-desert, savanna and coastal dunes, generally avoiding mountainous areas.They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 2.000 m.

Diet:
They mainly catch insects on the wing, but can also descend to the ground, gleaning insects and other arthropods from the foliage of trees or bushes. They are known too take bugs, beetles, flies, termite alates weevils, ants, wasps and also spiders.

Breeding:
Horus swifts are monogamous, colonial nesters, forming colonies of up to 12 breeding pairs, sometimes together with other species such as plain martins Riparia paludicola and common starlings Sturnus vulgaris. They nest on old tunnels excavated by other birds in sand or clay riverbanks, road cuttings, quarries or mine dumps, building a small pad at the end of the tunnel using grass, leaves, plastic and feathers all glued together with their saliva. There the female lays 1-4 eggs which are incubated for about 28 days. The chicks are cared for by both parents and fledge 6 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be extremely common and widespread in areas of suitable habitat. The population is suspected to be increasing owing to a range expansion following a similar expansion by the swallows and martins on whose nests they often breed.

Pacific-slope flycatcher

Empidonax difficilis

Photo by Anay Tarnekar (Flickr)

Common name:
Pacific-slope flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-do-Pacífico (pt); moucherolle côtier (fr); mosquero del Pacífico (es); feuchtwald-schnäppertyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species breeds along the Pacific coast of North America, from south-eastern Alaska down to Baja California. They migrate south to winter in southern and western Mexico.

Size:
These birds are 14-17 cm long and have a wingspan of 20-23 cm. They weigh 8-12 g.

Habitat:
The Pacific-slope flycatcher breeds in humid coniferous forest, pine-oak forest, and dense second-growth woodland, namely in stands of Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii, western hemlock Tsuga heterophylla, sugar pine Pinus lambertiana, incense cedar Calocedrus decurrens and red cedar Thuja plicata. They can also be found in along rivers and streams. They are present at altitudes of 1.500-3.500 m.

Diet:
They feed on insects and other arthropods caught on the wing or picked from foliage, namely bees, moths, spiders and flies.

Breeding:
These birds breed in April-July. They are mostly monogamous but some males may mate with 2 females. The female builds the nest, a cup made of moss, grass, rootlets, strips of bark, lichens, and leaves, lined with finer material such as plant fibres, hairs and feathers. It can be placed in a fork in a tree, in a cleft of a vertical bank, on a stump, among the upturned roots of a fallen tree, under a small bridge, or on shed rafter, usually near the ground but sometimes up to 4 m above the ground. The female lays 3-5 whitish eggs with brown blotches, which she incubates alone for 13-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-18 days after hatching. Each pair may hatch several broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 8,3 million individuals. The population is stable or decreasing at a very slow rate.

European honey-buzzard

Pernis apivorus

Photo by Ulf Gotthardsson (Flickr)

Common name:
European honey-buzzard (en); bútio-vespeiro (pt); bondrée apivore (fr); abejero europeo (es); wespenbussard (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Falconiformes
Family Accipitridae

Range:
This species is found breeding in Europe and western Asia, from the Iberian Peninsula to south-eastern England and eastern Scandinavia, though western Russia and the Caucasus to south-western Siberia and south to the northern Mediterranean, Turkey and Iran. They migrate south to winter in sub-Saharan Africa down to South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 52-60 cm long and have a wingspan of 135-150 cm. They weigh 440-1.050 g.

Habitat:
The European honey-buzzard is mostly found breeding in mixed deciduous or coniferous forests and woodlands in the temperate and boreal zones, typically where there are open patches and clearings. They can also be found over grasslands and small wetlands. During winter they are found in dry tropical forests and savannas, especially along forest edges. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 2.000 m.

Diet:
These insectivores are specialized on wasps, bees and hornets, attacking their nest to take larvae, pupae and adults. Notably, they are the only known predator of the Asian giant hornet Vespa mandarinia, the largest hornet in the world. They also eat other insects and more rarely frogs, small reptiles, rodents, bird eggs and nestlings, worms, spiders, and even fruit.

Breeding:
European honey-buzzards breed in April-August, typically during the peak in abundance of bees and wasps. The nest is built by the female, with sticks, twigs and live plant materials, often using old squirl or crow nests as a foundation. The nest is lined with small green branches and leaves and is placed in a tree 7-30 m above the ground. The female lays 1-3 white eggs with heavy reddish-brown markings, which are incubated by both parents for 30-35 days. The chicks are fed by both parents, fledging 40-44 days after hatching and becoming independent at 1-2 months later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 350.000-1.000.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Black-faced cuckoo-shrike

Coracina novaehollandiae

Photo by Tom Tarrant (Wikipedia)

Common name:
black-faced cuckoo-shrike (en); lagarteiro-de-face-preta (pt); échenilleur à masque noir (fr); oruguero de cara negra (es); schwarzgesicht-raupenfänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Campephagidae

Range:
This species is found throughout mainland Australia and Tasmania, with some populations migrating north to winter in Papua-New Guinea and Indonesia.

Size:
These birds are 32-35 cm long and weigh 90-150 g.

Habitat:
The black-faced cuckoo-shrike is found in a wide range of wooded habitats, including dry savannas, dry tropical forests, moist tropical forests and mangroves, and also in agricultural and urban areas.

Diet:
They can forage on the ground, on the foliage or in flight, taking a wide variety of invertebrates, such as grasshoppers, dragonflies, spiders and worms, as well as seeds and fruits, including mistletoe, figs and berries.

Breeding:
Black-faced cuckoo-shrikes can breed all year round, varying between different parts of their range. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a small, neat, shallow cup, made of twigs, rootlets, bark fibre and Casuarina leaves, bound together with spider webs. It is placed on an horizontal fork of a tree, usually 8-20 m above the ground. The female lays 2-3 creamy-brown eggs with darker brown speckles, which are incubated by both parents for 21-22 days. The chicks are raised by both parents and fledge 21-26 days after hatching.

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

Red-legged thrush

Turdus plumbeus

Photo by Alef Castellanos (Flickr)

Common name:
red-legged thrush (en); tordo-de-patas-vermelhas (pt); merle vantard (fr); zorzal patirrojo (es); rotfußdrossel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Turdidae

Range:
This species is found in the northern Caribbean, namely in the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras and Puerto Rico.

Size:
These birds are 25-28 cm long and weigh 50-82 g.

Habitat:
The red-legged thrush is found in tropical woodlands and forests, along the edges of mangroves, in scrublands, and in human altered areas including degraded forests, rural gardens, plantations, arable land and within urban areas. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.

Diet:
They forage on the ground and in the tree canopy, taking invertebrates such as roaches, snails, worms, spiders, ants, grasshoppers and caterpillars, berries, seeds and palm fruits. Occasionally they also take small vertebrates such as tree frogs, lizards and snakes.

Breeding:
Red-legged thrushes breed in January-September. The nest is a bulky cup, built by the female using leaves, rootlets, bark, banana fibres and mud. The nest is placed in a fork in a tree or palm, or sometimes in human structures, 4-10 m above the ground. The female lays 2-4 pale greenish eggs with brownish spots, which are incubated for 11-13 days. The chicks fledge 11-15 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, the red-legged thrush is described as common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Virginia rail

Rallus limicola

Photo by Danny Bonilla (Pine Barrens Animals)

Common name:
Virginia rail (en); frango d'água-da-Virginia (pt); râle de Virginie (fr); rascón de Virginia (es); Virginiaralle (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Gruiformes
Family Rallidae

Range:
These birds breed across the northern and western United States, as well as in southern Canada. Most population migrate south to winter in Florida, northern Mexico and along the Gulf coast of the United States.

Size:
The Virginia rail is 20-27 cm long and has a wingspan of 32-38 cm. They weigh 65-95 g.

Habitat:
They are mostly found in freshwater marshes with dense emergent vegetation, but also in brackish marshes and coastal saltmarshes. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 3.700 m.

Diet:
Virginia rails feed on small aquatic invertebrates, such as beetles, spiders, snails, earthworms and bugs, and also small fishes frogs, small snakes, aquatic plants and seeds.

Breeding:
These birds breed in May-August. The nest is a platform or basket of loosely woven reeds and grasses, placed over water or on a clump of vegetation. There the female lays 4-13 white or buff eggs with grey or brown spots. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 18-20 days. The chicks leave the nest within a few hours of hatching and are able to swim and drink, but the parents feed them until fledging, 25 days after hatching. Each pair may raise up to 2 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range. The overall population trend is increasing, although some populations have unknown trends. Overall, the species has undergone a large increase of 17 % per decade over the last 4 decades.

Hooded siskin

Carduelis magellanica

Common name:
hooded siskin (en); pintassilgo-de-cabeça-preta (pt); chardonneret de Magellan (fr); cabecitanegra común (es); Magellanzeisig (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Fringillidae

Range:
This South American species is found in central Venezuela, through eastern Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia and into central and southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina.

Size:
These birds are 10-14 cm long and weigh 11-15 g.

Habitat:
The hooded siskin is found in dry woodlands and savannas, temperate forests, scrublands, grasslands and plantations, from sea level up to an altitude of 5.000 m.

Diet:
The forage both on the ground and in the vegetation, mainly eating the seeds, buds and leaves of several plant species such as thistles and Lactuca. They also eat some insetcs.

Breeding:
Hooded siskins breed in October-June. The nest is a small cup made by the female with fine plant materials. It is placed on a tall tree-top. There the female lays 2-3 eggs, which she incubates alone for 12-13 days while the male brings her food. The chicks are mainly fed by the female, while the male gathers the food, and fledge about 14 days after hatching. They continue to rely on their parents for a few days after fledging.

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