Biscutate swift

Streptoprocne biscutata

Photo by Pia Öberg (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
biscutate swift (en); andorinhão-de-coleira-falha (pt); martinet à collier interompu (fr); vencejo nuquiblanco brasileño (es); schildsegler (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Apodiformes
Family Apodidae

Range:
This species is found along eastern Brazil, from Ceara south to Parana and northern Rio Grande do Sul, and also marginally into south-eastern Paraguay.

Size:
These birds are 20-22 cm long and have a wingspan of around 50 cm. They weigh 85-100 g.

Habitat:
The biscutate swift is mostly found in moist tropical forests, but also in temperate forests and second growths, particularly near rocky areas and waterfalls. They are found from sea level up to an altitude of 2.500 m.

Diet:
They hunt flying insects on the wing.

Breeding:
Biscutate swifts breed in October-June. They nest in horizontal or slightly inclined rocky substrata on otherwise vertical walls or crevices, often in caves, where they build a circular nest made of mosses, lichens and leaves held together with saliva. The female lays 1-4 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for about 18-28 days. The chicks fledge about 28-39 days after hatching.

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

Blue-grey gnatcatcher

Polioptila caerulea

(Photo from Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
blue-grey gnatcatcher (en); balança-rabo-azulado (pt); gobemoucheron gris-bleu (fr); perlita grisilla (es); blaumückenfänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Polioptilidae

Range:
This species breeds in the North America, as far north as southern Oregon and southern Wyoming in the west, but as far as Michigan, Maine and marginally into Canada in the east, and also throughout Mexico, in northern Guatemala, in the Bahamas and in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The more northern population migrate south to winter as far south as Cuba and the Honduras.

Size:
These birds are 10-12 cm long and have a wingspan of 16 cm. They weigh 5-7 g.

Habitat:
The blue-grey gnatcatcher is found in various scrubland and woodland habitats, particularly in temperate forests and dry tropical forests, but also moist tropical forests, mangroves, swamp forests, dry savannas, dry scrublands and second growths. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 2.100 m.

Diet:
They feed on small arthropods, such as treehoppers, froghoppers, leaf hoppers, plant bugs, tree bugs, leaf beetles, weevils, wolf spiders, caterpillars and grasshoppers.

Breeding:
Blue-grey gnatcatchers breed in April-July. They are monogamous and both sexes cooperate in building the nest, an open cup made of plant stems, bark strips and grasses, held together by spider webs, and lined with plant down, paper, cocoons, hair, or feathers. It is attached to a branch using spider webs. The female lays 3-5 pale blue eggs with reddish-brown spots, which are incubated by both sexes for 11-15 days. the chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10-15 days after hatching. Pairs often raise 2 broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 160 million individuals. The populations has undergone a small increase of 1% per year over the last 5 decades.

Antarctic petrel

Thalassoica antarctica

Photo by François Guerraz (Wikipedia)

Common name:
Antarctic petrel (en); pintado-antárctico (pt); pétrel antarctique (fr); petrél antártico (es); Antarktiksturmvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Procellariiformes
Family Procellariidae

Range:
This species breeds along the coasts of Antarctica, as well as in nearby islands. They forage over the Southern Ocean, as far north as Tierra del Fuego and sometimes near southern New Zealand and South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 40-46 cm long and have a wingspan of 100-110 cm. They weigh 510-756 g.

Habitat:
The Antarctic petrel nests on snow-free cliffs and rock faces, mainly in coastal or on offshore islands, but it has also been found to nest up to 250 km inland. They forage on open waters, mainly in the vicinity of pack ice and especially in areas with icebergs.

Diet:
They hunt by surface-seizing, or less often by diving, mainly taking krill Euphausia superba, but also fishes such as Pleuragramma antarcticum, crustaceans, and squids such as Gonatus antarcticus.

Breeding:
Antarctic petrels breed in November-March. They are mostly monogamous and breed in colonies of a few nests to over 200.000 pairs. They nest in clefts, crevices and ledges on sloping rocky cliffs in snow-free areas, more than 6 m above sea level. The female lays a single egg, which is incubated by both parents for 45-50 days. The chick is fed and brooded by both parents, fledging 42-47 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large range and the global population is estimated at 10-20 million individuals. The population trend is believed to be stable.

Taiwan magpie

Urocissa caerulea

Photo by R.S. Chiou (Flickr)

Common name:
Taiwan magpie (en); pega-da-Formosa (pt); pirolle de Taïwan (fr); urraca de Formosa (es); dickschnabelkitta (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Corvidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Taiwan, being found throughout most of the island with the exception of the western coast and the central mountains.

Size:
These birds are 63-68 cm long, including the 40 cm long tail. They weigh 250-260 g.

Habitat:
The Taiwan magpie is found in moist broadleaved forests, at altitudes of 300-1.200 m.

Diet:
They are omnivorous, taking a wide range of invertebrates but also various berries and figs.

Breeding:
Taiwan magpies breed in May-July. They are monogamous and show cooperative breeding, with several helpers, presumably young from the previous year, helping the breeding pair raise the new clutch. Both sexes participate in building the nest, a bowl made of twigs and other plant material which is usually placed is a tree branch located high in the canopy. The female lays 3-8 olive-green eggs with dark brown markings which she incubates alone for 17-19 days. The chicks fledge about 30 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is reported to be not uncommon, with a very rough estimate placing the population size in the range of 100-100.000 breeding pairs. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Parodi's hemispingus

Hemispingus parodii

Photo by Fabrice Schmitt (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Parodi's hemispingus (en); hemispingo-de-Parodi (pt); tangara de Parodi (fr); hemispingo de Parodi (es); gelbbrauenhemispingus (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Peru, only being in the eastern slopes of the Andes in the south central part of the country, from the Cordillera Vilcabamba south to the upper Urubamba valley.

Size:
These birds are 14-16 cm long and weigh about 20 g.

Habitat:
The Parodi's hemispingus is found in mountain rainforests, including elfin forests, and in patches of Chusquea bamboo at or near the treeline. They occur at altitudes of 2.600-3.500 m.

Diet:
They forage in small groups, often together with other insectivores, taking various arthropods.

Breeding:
These birds possibly breed from July onwards. Otherwise, there is no further information the regarding the reproduction of this species.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is described as fairly common. However, it is suspected to lose 25% of suitable habitat within its distribution over the next decade based on a model of Amazonian deforestation, suggesting it will undergo a moderate decline in the near future. The main threat to the Parodi's hemispingus is the accelerating deforestation in the Amazon Basin as land is cleared for cattle ranching and soy production, facilitated by expansion of the road network.

Rufous-collared kingfisher

Actenoides concretus

Photo by Sombat Kongwithtaya (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
rufous-collared kingfisher (en); guarda-rios-de-coleira-ruiva (pt); martin-chasseur trapu (fr); alción malayo (es); Malaienliest (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Alcedinidae

Range:
This species is found from extreme southern Myanmar and Thailand, across the Malay Peninsula, and into Borneo, Sumatra and adjacent islands in Indonesia.

Size:
These birds are 23-24 cm long and weigh 60-90 g.

Habitat:
The rufous-collared kingfisher is mainly found in the understorey and mid-storey of tropical rainforests, also using tall, regenerating logged forests. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.700 m.

Diet:
They feed mainly on large arthropods, including isopods, cicadas, beetles, mantids, spiders and scorpions, but also take fish, snails, small snakes and lizards.

Breeding:
Rufous-collared kingfishers breed in December-June. They are monogamous and both sexes participate in burrow excavating the nest burrow, located on a low bank or man-made ditch, usually near a stream. The female lays 2 eggs which are incubated for about 22 days. There is no available information on the fledgling period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a very large breeding range, but is suspected to be declining at a moderate rate as a result of deforestation. Rates of forest loss in the Sundaic lowlands have been extremely rapid, owing partly to the escalation of illegal logging and land conversion, with deliberate targeting of all remaining stands of valuable timber including those inside protected areas. Forest fires have also had a damaging effect. The magnitude of these threats may be allayed by this species tolerance of hill forests, which are under less pressure from logging and agricultural conversion.

Yellow-headed blackbird

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Photo by Mike Ross (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
yellow-headed blackbird (en); graúna-de-cabeça-amarela (pt); carouge à tête jaune (fr); tordo cabeciamarillo (es); brillenstärling (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Icteridae

Range:
This species breeds in south-western Canada, in eastern British Columbia, Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba and marginally in south-western Ontario, and in the United States, mainly east of the Cascades, from Washington to Michigan and south-westwards into to north-western Texas, northern New Mexico, northern Arizona and some areas in southern California. Also marginally into Baja California, in Mexico. They migrate south to winter from southern Arizona and Texas to central Mexico as far south as Puebla.

Size:
These birds are 21-26,5 cm long and have a wingspan of 42-44 cm. Females are smaller than males, weighing 44-60 g while males can weigh up to 100 g.

Habitat:
the yellow-headed blackbird is mostly found breeding in wetlands with abundant emergent vegetation, such as marshes, swamps and bogs, but also use grasslands and parks located near wetlands. Outside the breeding season they also use arable land and pastures. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.000 m.

Diet:
During the breeding season they feed mainly on aquatic insects, but also other insects, including beetles, grasshoppers, dragonflies, caterpillars, flies and ants, as well as spiders. Outside the breeding season they feed on grains and weed seeds.

Breeding:
Yellow-headed blackbirds breed in May-June. They are polygynous, with males defending harems of up to 16 females. Each female builds one nest, a cup made of woven strands of wet vegetation, attached to the leaves of aquatic plants and always located above water. There she lays 2-5 greyish to greenish-white eggs with brown, rufous and grey blotches, which she incubates alone for 11-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents, although the more females the male has in its harem the less it is involved in feeding the young. They fledge 9-14 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 11 million individuals. The population has undergone a small increase over the last 4 decades, possibly due to the increase in food supply for the birds outside of the breeding season caused by the expansion of corn, sunflower and small grain production. They may be affected by wetland drainage and their diet and habitat choice can expose them to herbicides and pesticides. In some areas, farmers consider yellow-headed blackbirds a pest and use toxic baits or sprays against them, beside trapping and shooting.