Java sparrow

Padda oryzivora

Photo by Kim Bridges (Wikipedia)

Common name:
Java sparrow (en); pardal-de-Java (pt); padda de Java (fr); gorrión de Java (es); reisfink (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Estrildidae

Range:
This species was originaly endemic to the islands of Java, Bali, and probably Madura, in Indonesia. It is a common cage bird and feral populations have been established in many parts of the world.

Size:
These birds are 14-19 cm long and weigh 30-40 g.

Habitat:
In their native range, Java sparrows are found in dry savannas, scrublands and grasslands, as well as in rural gardens, arable land, rice paddies and within urban areas. They are mostly present from sea level up to an altitude of 500 m.

Diet:
They mostly eat the seeds of grasses and other flowering plant, namely rice seeds, but also some insects.

Breeding:
Java sparrows breed in February-August within their native range. The nest is a loosely built structure of dried grass, constructed under the roofs and eaves of buildings in towns and villages, or in scrubs and treetops. The female lays 4-8 white eggs, which are incubated for 12-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 2-3 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a relatively large native range, but the native population is estimated at just 1.500-7.000 individuals. There are larger introduced populations elsewhere, for instance in China or Japan. The native population is declining at a rapid rate, mostly due to the high trapping pressure for the cage bird trade. Historically, it was regarded as a rice crop-pest, and consequently persecuted, while hunting for local consumption still takes place. Other potential threats include the increased use of pesticides and competition with the ecologically similar tree sparrow Passer montanus.

Silverbird

Empidornis semipartitus

Photo by Jacek Nalepa (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
silverbird (en); papa-moscas-prateado (pt); gobemouche argenté (fr); papamoscas plateado (es); silberschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found in East Africa from southern Sudan and Ethiopia, through South Sudan and Uganda and into western Kenya and northern Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 18 cm long.

Habitat:
Silverbirds are mostly found in semi-arid Acacia savannas, but also in dry scrublands and grasslands, as well as rural gardens.

Diet:
They feed on small insects, caterpillars and spiders, as well as some seeds and grain.

Breeding:
Silverbirds are probably monogamous and both sexes help incubate and feed the young. Clutch size is 2-3 eggs but there is no information regarding the length of the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as locally common to abundant although scarce at the northern limit of its range in Sudan and Ethiopia. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Least bittern

Ixobrychus exilis

Photo by Harold Stiver (Nature Notes)

Common name:
least bittern (en); socoí-vermelho (pt); petit blongios (fr); avetorillo panamericano (es); Amerikanische zwergdommel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Ciconiiformes
Family Ardeidae

Range:
This species is found from south-eastern Canada and the eastern, southern and south-western United States, through Central America and into the coasts and along the main rivers and wetlands of South America as far south as south-eastern Brazil and Paraguay. The populations in North America migrate south to winter in Central America.

Size:
These birds are 28-36 cm long and have a wingspan of 41-46 cm. They weigh 50-110 g.

Habitat:
The least bittern is found in a wide range of coastal and inland wetlands, including saltmarshes, mangroves, fresh water marshes and swamps, lakes with dense vegetation, rivers and artificial channels and ditches. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 3.100 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on small fishes, crustaceans and aquatic insects, but also amphibians, reptiles and terrestrial insects. They can also eat the eggs and chicks of other marsh-dwelling birds.

Breeding:
Least bitterns are loosely colonial. The male builds the nest, which consists of a frail platform of sticks and twigs, placed over water on dead stalks of emergent vegetation. There the female lays 2-5 bluish-white eggs with brown flecks, which are incubated by both parents for 19-20 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 25 days after hatching. Each pair can raise 1-2 broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range. There is no information regarding population size or global trends, but some populations are known to be in decline, due to habitat loss caused by drainage of wetlands and human disturbance during the nesting period. In North America the least bittern has had a stable trend over the last 4 decades.

Black-chinned laughingthrush

Strophocincla cachinnans

Photo by Niranjan Sant (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
black-chinned laughingthrush (en); zaragateiro-de-garganta-preta (pt); garrulaxe des Nilgiri (fr); chalátan de Nilgiri (es); zimtbrusthäherling (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is endemic to southern India, only being found in north-western Tamil Nadu, north-eastern Kerala and south-western Karnataka, predominantly in the Nilgiri Hills, and with a smaller disjunct population in the Palakkad-Siruvani Hills.

Size:
These birds are 20-24 cm long.

Habitat:
The black-chinned laughingthrush is mostly found in dense understory of tropical moist forests and also in scrublands, plantations and gardens at altitudes of 1.200-2.300 m.

Diet:
They feed on invertebrates, nectar, flowers, fruits and berries.

Breeding:
Back-chinned laughingthrushes breed in January-June. The nest is a deep cup made of fine twigs, moss, grass and dead leaves, and lined with moss roots, fibres, fine grass, wool, and fur. It is placed in a scrub or tree, usually 1-2 m above the ground. The female lays 2 greenish blue eggs with brown blotches, which are incubated by both parents for 16-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15-18 days after hatching, but only become fully independent 3 weeks later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - EN (Endangered)
This species has a relatively small breeding range and a global population estimated by 2.500-10.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be declining at a moderate rate, owing to the degradation and loss of habitat. Many of the forests within their range are being converted into plantations, reservoirs, crops and human settlements. The indiscriminate use of inorganic pesticides may also be a problem. Having a mountainous distribution that is close to the maximum altitude within its range, this species is potentially susceptible to climate change.

Striped treehunter

Thripadectes holostictus

Photo by William Price (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
striped treehunter (en); trepa-musgos-listado (pt); anabate strié (fr); trepamusgos listado (es); strichelbaumspäher (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This South American species is found along the eastern slopes of the Andes, from south-western Venezuela to central Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 20-21 cm long.

Habitat:
The striped treehunter is mostly found on the undergrowth of mountain rainforests, but also in degraded patches of former forests, at altitudes of 900-3.000 m.

Diet:
They hunt among dense vegetation, taking various invertebrates.

Breeding:
Striped treehunters breed in October-January. They nest is made of rootlets and placed in a burrow excavated into a steep bank or vegetation-covered road-cut. The female lays 2-3 eggs which are are incubated for 13-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 20-23 days after hatching.

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

Blue-breasted kingfisher

Halcyon malimbica

Photo by Manu Romero (MRP Animales)

Common name:
blue-breasted kingfisher (en); guarda-rios-de-peito-azul (pt); martin-chasseur à poitrine bleue (fr); alción pechiazul (es); zügelliest (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Alcedinidae

Range:
This species is found in sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Uganda and Tanzania, northern D.R. Congo and northern Angola.

Size:
These birds are 20-30 cm long and weigh 65-95 g.

Habitat:
The blue-breasted kingfisher is mostly found in moist tropical forests, but also in mangroves, flooded grasslands, inland wetlands such as lakes, river and freshwater marshes, and nearby dry savannas and plantations. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.800 m.

Diet:
They feed on large insects and other arthropods, frogs, fishes and also the fruits of oil palms.

Breeding:
Blue-breasted kingfishers can breed all year round, varying between different parts of their range. They nest in holes excavated into arboreal termite nests, usually 6-10 m above the ground. There the female lays 2 eggs which are incubated for 18-22 days. 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 described as widespread and uncommon to common. The population is suspected to be declining locally owing to ongoing habitat destruction.

Plumbeous sierra-finch

Phrygilus unicolor

Photo by Mauricio Rueda (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
plumbeous sierra-finch (en); canário-andino-cinzento (pt); phrygile gris-de-plomb (fr); yal plomizo (es); bleiämmerling (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae

Range:
This species is found from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego, mostly along the eastern slopes of the Andes.

Size:
These birds are 13-15 cm long and weigh 20-25 g.

Habitat:
The plumbeous sierra finch is mostly found in high-altitude grasslands and scrublands, and also in pastures, at altitudes of 3.000-4.500 m.

Diet:
They feed on seeds, fruits, berries and buds.

Breeding:
Plumbeous sierra-finches nest in an open cup lined with fine plant materials and hairs, placed in a sandy cliff or crevices among rocks. There the female lays light blue-green eggs with reddish-brown spots, which she incubates alone for 2 weeks. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 3 weeks after hatching.

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