Yellow-billed stork

Mycteria ibis

Photo by Arthur Morris (Birds as Art)

Common name:
yellow-billed stork (en); cegonha-de-bico-amarelo (pt); tantale ibis (fr); tántalo africano (es); nimmersatt (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Ciconiiformes
Family Ciconiidae

Range:
This species is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, from southern Mauritania and Mali to Sudan and Ethiopia and south to Namibia, Botswana and eastern South Africa. It is also found in north-western Madagascar.

Size:
These birds are 90-105 cm long and have a wingspan of 150-165 cm. They weigh 1,9-2,3 g.

Habitat:
The yellow-billed stork is shallow wetlands with sandbanks or trees for roosting, including swamps, the margins or river, lakes and lagoons, marshes, flooded grasslands, alkaline lakes, reservoirs, rice fields, and occasionally in estuaries, mudflats and beaches.

Diet:
They hunt small aquatic animals, including fishes, frogs, aquatic insects, worms, crustaceans and more rarely small mammals and birds.

Breeding:
Yellow-billed storks are monogamous and nest in colonies of 10-50 pairs, often alongside ibises, herons, spoonbills, other storks and cormorants. The nest is built by both sexes and consists of a large platform made of sticks and lined with fine leaves, grasses and reeds. It is placed on top of a tree, often an Acacia, water fig Ficus verruculosa or baobab Adansonia digitata, 3-7 m above the ground or water. The female lays 2-4 eggs which are incubated by both parents for about 30 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 55-60 days after hatching, becoming fully independent 1 month later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range. Although there is no reliable information on population sizes and trends, overall the yellow-billed stork is believed to be declining due to wetland disturbance and destruction.

Grey-headed quail-dove

Geotrygon caniceps

(Photo from Bird Forum)

Common name:
grey-headed quail-dove (en); juriti-de-cabeça-cinzenta (pt); colombe de Gundlach (fr); camao (es); Gundlachtaube (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Columbiformes
Family Columbidae

Range:
This species is found in Cuba and the Dominican Republic. In Cuba it may still occur in patches throughout the country, but mainly on the Zapata Peninsula and Sierra del Rosario. In the Dominican Republic they occur on the Cordillera Central, Sierra de Baoruco and Sierra de Neiba. It possibly also occurred in Haiti until the early 20th century, but was extirpated by extensive habitat destruction.

Size:
These birds are 26-30 cm long and weigh 210 g.

Habitat:
The grey-headed quail-dove is mostly found in dry, limestone-based forests, but also uses rainforests, swamp forests and coffee plantations. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.800 m.


Diet:
They forage on the ground, taking seeds and some small invertebrates.

Breeding:
These birds are monogamous and may pair for life. They breed in January-August, nesting in a loose bowl made of leaves, placed on the ground among the forest undergrowth. There the female lays 1-2 beige-coloured eggs which are incubated for about 13 days. The chicks fledge about 2 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a relatively large but patchy breeding range. The global population is estimated at 1.500-7.000 individuals and is suspected to be declining rapidly, owing to habitat loss and hunting pressure. Habitat destruction as nearly wiped out this species on the Cordillera Central and Sierra de Neiba, mainly through the expansion of cacao, coffee and tobacco production. Further threats include dry-season burning, drainage, agricultural expansion and introduced predators, as well as heavy hunting in Cuba for human consumption. Conservation action include a hunting ban in the Dominican republic since the 1970s and a number of nature reserves in both Cuba and the Dominican Republic, although few are afforded strict protection.

Bar-winged flycatcher-shrike

Hemipus picatus

Photo by Mapalagama Premasiri (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
bar-winged flycatcher-shrike (en); largarteiro-de-asa-listada (pt); échenilleur gobemouche (fr); oruguero alibarrado (es); elsterraupenschmätzer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Campephagidae

Range:
This species is found from India and Nepal to southern China, and through Indochina into the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo.

Size:
These birds are 15 cm long and weigh 9-10 g.

Habitat:
The bar-winged flycatcher-shrike is mostly found in moist tropical forests, also using forest edges, moist scrublands, rural gardens and plantations.

Diet:
They hunt insects by gleaning the foliage and sallying out from a perch.

Breeding:
These birds breed in February-August. The nest is a neat cup made of lichens and spider webs, and lined with fine grasses and plant fibres. It is placed in the horizontal surface of a dead or leafless branch. There the female lays 2-3 pale greenish-white eggs with black and grey blotches. The eggs are incubated by both sexes but there is no information on the length of the incubation and fledgling periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as locally common in the Indian subcontinent, common in Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka; locally common in South-East Asia and common in China. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Red-rumped parrot

Psephotus haematonotus

Photo by Duncan McCaskill (Wikipedia)

Common name:
red-rumped parrot (en); piriquito-de-uropígio-vermelho (pt); perruche à croupion rouge (fr); perico dorsirrojo (es); singsittich (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Psittaciformes
Family Psittacidae

Range:
This species is found in south-eastern Australia, in southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and eastern South Australia.

Size:
These birds are 26-28 cm long and weigh 55-85 g.

Habitat:
The red-rumped parrot is mostly found in dry grasslands and open, sry savannas and forests, especially along rivers and streams, also using mangroves, dry scrublands, farmland and urban parks. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.100 m.

Diet:
They forage mostly on the ground, usually in pairs or small flocks, taking seeds, grass leaves, shoots,fruits and flowers.

Breeding:
Red-rumped parrots breed in August-January. They are monogamous and mate for life. The nest is a hollow in an Eucalyptus tree, or sometimes on a fence post or nest box. The female lays 3-8 eggs, which she incubates alone for 19-21 days while being fed by the male. The chicks fledge 4-5 weeks after hatching, but continue to receive food from the parents for some time afterwards.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be common to abundant throughout this range. The population is suspected to be increasing as ongoing habitat degradation is creating new areas of suitable habitat. These birds are often hit by cars when feeding by roads, and hunted by domestic pets, especially cats.

Blue-naped chlorophonia

Chlorophonia cyanea

Photo by Dario Sanches (Wikipedia)

Common name:
blue-naped chlorophonia (en); gaturamo-bandeira (en); organiste à nuque bleue (fr); tangará bonito (es); grünorganist (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae

Range:
This South American species has a highly disjunct distribution, with three main areas of occurrence. One population is found in southern Venezuela, south-western Guyana and marginally into northern Brazil. A second population is found along the eastern slopes of the Andes, from Venezuela to central Bolivia. The third population is found in the Atlantic forests of southern and south-eastern Brazil, and also in southern Paraguay and marginally into northern Argentina.

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

Habitat:
The blue-naped chlorophonia is found in moist tropical forests, rural gardens and plantations. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.100 m.

Diet:
They mainly eat berries and insect larvae, but also small leaves and nectar.

Breeding:
Blue-naped chlorophonias breed in December-July. The nest is a globular structure with side entrances, made of moss and rootlets, and placed in a road bank with overhanging vegetation or within a bromeliad, about 1 m above the ground. The female lays 2-3 whitish eggs with reddish-brown speckles, which she incubates alone for 17-20 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 20-21 days after hatching.

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.

Large tree-finch

Camarhynchus psittacula

Photo by Ruben Heleno (Charles Darwin Foundation)

Common name:
large tree-finch (en); tentilhão-de-Darwin-papagaio (pt); géospize psittacin (fr); pinzón de Darwin lorito (es); papageischnabel-Darwinfink (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the Galapagos Islands, being found in Isabela, Santa Cruz, Santa Fé, Fernandina, Santiago, Floreana, Marchena, Pinta and Rábida. It is extinct on Pinzón.

Size:
These birds are13 cm long and weigh 15-21 g.

Habitat:
The large tree-finch is mostly found in moist tropical forests but also uses dry tropical forests and occasionally area dominated by scrubs and Opuntia cacti. They are present at altitudes of 300-700 m.

Diet:
They mainly hunt arthropods but also take fruits, including cactus fruits, flowers and seeds.

Breeding:
Large tree-finches are monogamous and pair for life. They breed during the local wet season, in December-June. The male builds the nest, a small some-shaped structure with a side entrance near the top, made of dry grasses, moss and lichens. the female lays 3-4 whitish eggs with dark spots, which she incubates alone for about 12 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 13-15 days after hatching.

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

Rufous woodpecker

Celeus brachyurus

Photo by P.J. Vasanthan (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
rufous woodpecker (en); pica-pau-castanho (pt); pic brun (fr); carpintero rufo (es); rötelspecht (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae

Range:
This species is found in south-eastern Asia, from India and Nepal to south-eastern China and south to the Indonesian islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo.

Size:
These birds are 21-25 cm long and weigh 55-115 g.

Habitat:
The rufous woodpecker is mostly found in primary rainforests and moist tropical scrublands, but also second growths, dry tropical forests, mangroves, palm groves and rural gardens. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.750 m.

Diet:
They hunt insects by gleaning and hammering, mainly taking ants, especially Crematogaster sp. and Phydole sp., but also termites and other small insects. They are also known to eat figs and other fruits, and nectar.

Breeding:
Rufous woodpeckers breed in February-May. They nest in a cavity excavated by both sexes, either on a tree trunk or on an arboreal ant nest, typically 3-15 m above the ground. The female lays 2-3 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents but there is no information regarding the length of the fledgling period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be locally common to uncommon. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.