Red-bellied parrot

Poicephalus rufiventris

Common name:

red-bellied parrot (en); papagaio-de-ventre-vermelho (pt); perroquet à ventre rouge (fr); lorito ventrirrojo (es); rotbauchpapagei (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Psittaciformes

Family Psittacidae

Range:

This African parrot is found in the savannas of eastern Africa, in Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania.

Size:

This small parrot is 22-23 cm long and weighs 130-170 g.

Habitat:

Red-bellied parrots favour savannas, dry savannas and tropical and subtropical scrubland, especially in Acacia-Commiphora steppe woodlands. They are often found near water sources and tend to be present at altitudes of 800-2.000 m.

Diet:

They mostly feed on Ficus figs, Acacia fruits, seeds, other fruits and maize.

Breeding:

Red-bellied parrots breed in March-October. They nest in tree cavities, where the females lay 3-4 eggs. The female incubates the eggs alone for 26-28 days and the chicks fledge 10 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has a large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, the species is reported to be uncommon to common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Yellow-browed bunting

Emberiza chrysophrys

Common name:

yellow-browed bunting (en); escrevedeira-de-sobrolho-amarelo (pt); bruant à sourcils jaune (fr); escribano de cejas amarillas (es); gelbbrauenammer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Emberizidae

Range:

This Asian species breeds in eastern and southern Siberia and winters in central and southern China.

Size:

The yellow-browed bunting is 13-14 cm long and has a wingspan of 22-24 cm. They weigh 15-17 g.

Habitat:

These birds breed in the taiga zone, preferring moist coniferous forests of spruce, pine and larch, with well developed undergrowth. In winter they are usually found in areas of thicket and bush bordering crops and forest margins.

Diet:

Adult yellow-browed buntings only eat seeds, but they feed insects to nestlings.

Breeding:

These birds breed in May-August, with the females building a well hidden nest, placed in a small spruce about 1 m above the ground, and consisting of dry grass stems with the interior lined with wool, hair or very thin stems. There she lays 3-5 greyish eggs with purple spots which she incubates alone for 10-14 days. The young are reared by both parents, and fledge 10-15 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

Although the global population size has not been quantified, the species is described as uncommon in most of its large range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats, so the yellow-browed bunting is not considered threatened at present.

Yellow warbler

Dendroica petechia

Common name:

yellow warbler (en); mariquita-amarela (pt); paruline jaune (fr); canario del manglar (es); gold-waldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Parulidae

Range:

These birds breed throughout much of North America, including Alaska, northern Canada, and the northern 2/3 of the United States. They migrate south to winter in southern California, southern Florida, and south through the Brazilian Amazon, Bolivia, and Peru.

Size:

These small songbirds are 12-13 cm long and have a wingspan of 16-20 cm. They weigh 9-11 g.

Habitat:

They breed in moist, deciduous thickets, especially in willows, but also in shrubby areas and abandoned agricultural fields. In the winter they are found in mangroves, the edges of marshes and swamps, willow-lined streams, and leafy bogs.

Diet:

Yellow warblers are predominantly insectivorous, gleaning insects and their larvae, and spiders from the vegetation. In winter they also eat berries.

Breeding:

They breed in May-June. The female builds the nest, a deep cup of grasses and bark, covered on the outside with plant down and fine fibers, lined with fur or fine plant fibers. It is placed in an upright fork of a scrub or tree. There the female lays 4-5 greenish white eggs with dark spots, which she incubates alone for 10-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 9-12 days after hatching, but parental feeding may continue for 2 more weeks.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population of 40 million individuals. The population is believed to be stable, but in some areas the loss of riparian woodland habitat and extensive parasitism by cowbirds affect this species. On the other hand, in areas where grazing and herbicide use are restricted, permitting regrowth of riparian vegetation, the species may be increasing.

Eurasian nightjar

Caprimulgus europaeus

Common name:

Eurasian nightjat (en); noitibó-da-Europa (pt); engoulevent d'Europe (fr); chotacabras gris (es); ziegenmelker (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Caprimulgiformes

Family Caprimulgidae

Range:

These birds breed throughout Europe, with the exception of Iceland, northern Scotland and northern Scandinavia. Then, through Turkey, southern Russia and the Caucasus, into Iraq and Iran, and all the way to Kazakhstan, Pakistan and western China. They winter in sub-Saharan Africa, in the western parts of the Sahel, and along the Indian ocean coast, from Somalia down to South Africa.

Size:

Eurasian nightjars are 24-28 cm long and have a wingspan of 52-59 cm. They weigh 67-78 g.

Habitat:

They mostly breed in heathland, moorland, sand dunes and young conifer plantations, requiring low, sparse vegetation to nest in. They forage on a wider range of habitats, preferring heathlands, deciduous or mixed woodlands, orchards, riparian and freshwater habitats, and gardens.

Diet:

Eurasian nightjars hunt for insects on the wing, from dusk until dawn. Their prey includes moths, flies, craneflies, beetles, and ants.

Breeding:

These breed in May-August. The nests are selected by males and are usually a shallow scrape on bare ground amongst heather or bracken. There the females lays 1-3 creamy white eggs mottled with brown and purple. The eggs are incubated for 17-18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 16-17 days after hatching. If the first brood is produced early in the season, a second brood may be possible.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has an extremely large breeding range and a global population estimated at 2-6 million individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction, pesticide use reducing the availability of food, disturbance and poor winter survival in their African wintering grounds. Despite this the species is not considered threatened at present.

Red-whiskered bulbul

Pycnonotus jocosus

Common name:

red-whiskered bulbul (en); tuta-de-faces-vermelhas (pt); bulbul orphée (fr); bulbul orfeo (es); rotohrbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Pycnonotidae

Range:

These birds are native to south-east Asia, from Pakistan and India to China. They have been introduced to several countries including Australia, the United States and several Asian nations outside their native range.

Size:

Red-whiskered bulbuls are 17-23 cm long and have a wingspan of 28 cm. They weigh 23-42 g.

Habitat:

In their native range they are mostly found in lightly wooded areas, in open country with bushes and shrubs, along forest edges and in farmland at altitudes of 500-2.000 m. In their introduced range they are also found in urban areas, where they inhabit parks, gardens and areas along creeks.

Diet:

The red-whiskered bulbul feeds on fruits, berries, insects, flower buds and nectar.

Breeding:

These birds can breed all year round, depending on the part of their range. The nest is cup-shaped, and is built on bushes, thatched walls or small trees. It is woven of fine twigs, roots, and grasses, and embellished with large objects such as bark strips, paper, or plastic bags. The female lays 2-3 pale mauve eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 12-14 days. Both parents take part in raising the chicks, which fledge 13 days after hatching but only become fully independent after 3 weeks. Each pair may raise 1-2 broods per year.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, the species is described as common to abundant. The species range has expanded due to its introduction to several new areas, but the population in its native range is estimated to be in decline following local declines and extinctions owing to hunting and trapping pressure. Overall, this species is not considered threatened at present.

Great kiskadee

Pitangus sulphuratus

Common name:

great kiskadee (en); bem-te-vi (pt); tyran quiquivi (fr); bienteveo (es); schwefeltyrann (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Tyrannidae

Range:

These birds are found from the southern-most United States, in Texas and Louisiana, through Central America and across South America down to Uruguay and central Argentina. They are also found in Trinidad and have been introduced to Bermuda and Tobago.

Size:

Great kiskadees are 22-25 cm long and have a wingspan of 37-39 cm. They weigh 52-68 g.

Habitat:

These birds are commonly found in open woodland, scrub, thickets, streamsides, groves, parks and towns. In the tropics, they avoid dense, unbroken forests for open habitats near water.

Diet:

These omnivorous birds often hunt from a perch, sallying out to catch their prey either in fligh or on the ground. They eat a variety of insects, like beetles, wasps, grasshoppers, bees and moths, but also small mammals, reptiles, small birds, tadpoles and small fish, being one of the few fishing passerines. They also eat seeds, fruits and berries, especially in winter.

Breeding:

The great kiskadee breeding season starts in late March. Both sexes build the nest, a dome made with sticks, grass, mosses and bark, and lined with soft materials, such as wool and feathers, with a singly entry hole on the side. The nest is located in a fork of a tree or bush, where it is firmly attached, 3-9 m above the ground. There, the female lays 2-5 creamy-white eggs with brown and grey marks. She incubates the eggs alone for 13-15 days and the chicks are fed and protected by both parents until fledging, which takes place 35 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This common and widespread species has an extremely large breeding range and a global population of 10-100 million individuals. The population trend is increasing in North America and the species is thus not threatened at present.

White ibis

Eudocimus albus

Common name:

white ibis (en); ibis-branco (pt); ibis blanc (fr); ibis blanco (es); schneesichler (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Ciconiiformes

Family Threskiornithidae

Range:

The white ibis breeds from the United States, along the coastal region of Virginia, south and west to Louisiana, including inland South Carolina through Florida, and along the entire coast of Mexico, Belize, Nicaragua, Cuba, Jamaica, Panama, and Costa Rica.

Size:

These birds are 56-68 cm long and have a wingspan of 95 cm. They weigh 750-1.050 g.

Habitat:

The white ibis lives in a variety of coastal freshwater, saltwater and brackish marshes, rice fields, mudflats, mangrove swamps and lagoons.

Diet:

They forage in shallow, sparsely vegetated water, using their long, sensitive bill to search for its prey by touch rather than by sight. They feed on a variety of crustaceans, insects, amphibians, small snakes and small fish.

Breeding:

White ibis tend to breed in June-July, but the breeding season may vary according to food abundance. They nest in colonies, with the females builds the nest in the forking branch of a tree or bush, weaving dead twigs collected by the male together with vegetation. The female lays 1-4 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 21 days. The hatchlings are cared for constantly as they are weak and prone to overheating, and they are fed on freshwater prey such as small fish. They fledge 2 weeks after hatching but remain in the colony for at least another 40 days. They only become fully independent after 2 years.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 350.000 individuals. The overall population estimate is believed to be stable, but the population in the United States has increased by almost 600% over the last 4 decades.