Eastern paradise-whydah

Vidua paradisaea

Photo by Marco Valentini (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
eastern paradise-whydah (en); viúva-do-paraíso-oriental (pt); veuve de paradis (fr); viuda del paraíso (es); spitzschwanz-paradieswitwe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Viduidae

Range:
This species is found in sub-Saharan Africa, in the Sahel region from Senegal and southern Mauritania to Ethiopia, than south through Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia, and into southern Angola, northern Namibia, Mozambique, eastern Botswana and north-eastern South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 13-15 cm long, but the elongated tail feathers of the males add another 36-40 cm to this length. They weigh 20-22 g.

Habitat:
The eastern paradise-whydah is mostly found in dry, open savannas, such as Acacia, miombo and mopane, also using scrublands, moist tropical forests, arable land and rural gardens. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.400 m.

Diet:
They feed on the seeds of various grasses and herbs, such as Panicum, Hyparrhenia, Melitis Sonchus, Synphytum, Taraxacum and Rumex. They also eat some invertebrates such as fly larvae, moths, spiders and earthworms.

Breeding:
The eastern paradise-whydah breeds mostly in January-June. They are polygynous, with males mating with multiple females. They are brood parasites, the females laying 1-3 eggs on the nest of a host, often green-winged pytilia Pytilia melba, or sometimes violet-eared waxbill Uraeginthus granatina. The eggs are incubated by the hosts for 11 days. The chicks mimic the host's young in aspect and behaviour and are fed by the hosts. They fledge 16 day after hatching but only become fully independent 2 weeks later.

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

White-tipped dove

Leptotila verreauxi

(Photo from The Trinidad and Tobago Naturelink)

Common name:
white-tipped dove (en); juriti-pupu (pt); colombe de Verreaux (fr); paloma montaraz común (es); blauringtaube (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Columbiformes
Family Columbidae

Range:
This species is found from southern Texas and Mexico, through most of Central America and northern South America down to western Peru and central Argentina.

Size:
These birds are 26-29 cm long and weigh 155-215 g.

Habitat:
The white-tipped dove is mostly found in dry tropical forests, also using moist tropical forests, scrublands, second growths, pastures and arable land. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.800 m.

Diet:
They feed on various seeds and grains, fruits and other vegetable matter, also taking some small insects.

Breeding:
White-tipped doves can breed all year round. The nest is made of twigs and unlined. It is placed in a tree or scrub, on a coffee plants or sometimes at the entrance of a limestone cave, usually 1-3 m above the ground. There the female lays 1-2 white eggs which are incubated for 14 days. The chicks fledge 15 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and is described as common. The population in North America is increasing, but it represents just a very small portion of the global populations.

Fulvous-breasted flatbill

Rhynchocyclus fulvipectus

Photo by Nick Athanas (Antpitta)

Common name:
fulvous-breasted flatbill (en); bico-chato-de-peito-ruivo (pt); platyrhynque à poitrine fauve (fr); picoplano pechirrufo (es); ockerbrust-breitschnabeltyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This South American species is found from Venezuela, through Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and into Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 15 cm long and weigh 25-30 g.

Habitat:
The fulvous-breasted flatbill is mostly found in mountain rainforests, especially along rivers ans streams. They also use rainforests in lowland areas. This species is present at altitudes of 750-2.300 m.

Diet:
They are insectivorous, taking various small insects and other invertebrates.

Breeding:
Fulvous-breasted flatbills breed in August-December. The nest is a domed structure with a side entrance opening towards the ground, made of plant fibres, mosses, ferns and dry roots. It is attached to the end of a branch, overhanging a stream 3-12 m above the water. The female lays 1-3 white eggs, sometimes with reddish spots. She incubates the eggs alone for 24 days. The chicks fledge 29 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as uncommon. It is suspected to loose 20% of suitable habitat within its range, based on a model of Amazonian deforestation. Therefore, the fulvous-breasted flatbill is expected to decline at a moderate rate in the near future.

Australasian figbird

Sphecotheres vieilloti

Photo by Georges Olioso (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Australasian figbird (en); papa-figos-australiano (pt); sphécothère de Vieillot (fr); oropéndola australiana (es); Australischer feigenpirol (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Oriolidae

Range:
This species is found in northern and eastern Australia, from northern Western Australia and the Northern Territories, through coastal Queensland and into the coast of New South Wales down to Canberra. Also in south-eastern Papua-New Guinea.

Size:
These birds are 27-30 cm long and weigh about 130 g.

Habitat:
The Australasian figbird is mostly found in rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests, also using mangroves and urban parks and gardens, especially those with figs and other fruit trees.

Diet:
They forage in flocks of about 20 birds, mostly eating figs and other soft fruits and berries, but also some insects.

Breeding:
Australasian figbirds breed in September-January. They nest semi-colonially, with pairs nesting in adjoining canopy trees. The nest is a cup made of vine tendrils and twigs, supported by its rim from an horizontal fork of an outer branch of the canopy, up to 20 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-3 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 17 days after hatching.

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

White-crowned parrot

Pionus senilis

Photo by Nick Athanas (Antpitta)

Common name:
white-crowned parrot (en); maitaca-de-testa-branca (pt); pione à couronne blanche (fr); loro senil (es); weißkopfpapagei (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Psittaciformes
Family Psittacidae

Range:
This species is found in Central America, from eastern and southern Mexico to western Panama.

Size:
These birds are 23-25 cm long and weigh 220 g.

Habitat:
White-crowned parrots are mostly found in mountain rainforests, but also use rainforests in lowland areas, forest edges, dry savannas, second growths, cocoa plantations and arable land. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.300 m.

Diet:
They forage in small flocks in the forest canopy, taking fruits, seeds and nut of various plants including Leguminosae, Araliaceae and Arecaceae. They also eat domestic crops such as maize, sorghum and commercial fruit plantations.

Breeding:
The white-crowned parrot breed in January-July. They nest in natural tree cavities, or in hollow palm stubs, where the female lays 3-6 white eggs. The eggs are incubated for 24-26 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 8-12 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This specie has a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 50.000-500.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction, but the white crowned parrot is not considered threatened at present.

Dot-winged antwren

Microrhopias quixensis

Photo by Scott Olmstead (Flickr)

Common name:
dot-winged antwren (en); papa-formiga-de-bando (pt); grisin étoilé (fr); hormiguerito alipunteado (es); tropfenflügel-ameisenfänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thamnophilidae

Range:
This species is found is found from southern Mexico to Colombia, then along the Andean region down to Peru and along the Amazon basin into northern Brazil as far as Mato Grosso, Pará and Amapá, and into the Guyanas.

Size:
These birds are 11-12 cm long and weigh 7,5-11,5 g.

Habitat:
The dot-winged antwren is mostly found in the lower strata of tropical rainforests and swamp forests, also using forest edges and adjacent second growth areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.1.00 m.

Diet:
They feed on insects, such as grasshoppers, crickets, katydids, cockroaches, beetles, ants and caterpillars, as well as spiders. They only rarely follow army ant swarms to capture fleeing insects.

Breeding:
Dot-winged antwrens breed in January-August. The nest is a deep pouch made of decayed leaves and held together with fine dark fibres. It is lined with fine fibres and attached by the rim to a slender twig among dense foliage, usually 1-12 m above the ground. There the female lays 2 white eggs with brown spots. The eggs are incubated by both sexes but there is no information regarding the length of the incubation period. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 9 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 0,5-5 million individuals. The dot-winged antwren is suspected to loose roughly 15% of its habitats over the next 15 years, based on a model of Amazonian deforestation, which indicated it will likely face a moderate decline in the near future.

Northern lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Photo by Agustín Povedano (Flickr)

Common name:
northern lapwing (en); abibe-comum (pt); vanneau huppé (fr); avefría europea (es); kiebitz (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Charadriiformes
Family Charadriidae

Range:
This species breeds throughout most of Europe and into central Asia as far east as southern Siberia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and northern China. They migrate south to winter around the Mediterranean, in the Middle East, northern India, southern China, southern Japan and Thailand.

Size:
These birds are 28-31 cm long and have a wingspan of 65-80 cm. They weigh 140-320 g.

Habitat:
The northern lapwings breeds on natural wet grasslands, agricultural meadows, grassy moorland, swampy heathland and arable land. Outside the breeding season they also use agricultural land such as pastures, irrigated land and rice fields, as well as lake shores, river banks, fresh and saltwater marshes, estuaries and mudflats.

Diet:
They feed mainly on earthworms, adult and larval insects and other soil invertebrates. Occasionaly, they also take seeds and other plant material.

Breeding:
Northern lapwing breed in June-March. They are mostly monogamous and can pair for life, but there are also cases of polygamy where one male mates with 2 females. The nest is a scrape on the ground, lined with grasses, where the female lays 3-4 light brown or grey eggs with reddish-brown spots. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 21-28 days. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and are immediately able to feed themselves, but the parents protect them from predators and brood in case of rain or cold weather. They fledge 35-40 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 5,2-10 million individual. The overall population trend is decreasing, although some populations have unknown trends. In Europe, the population has declined by over 50% in the last 3 decades, mainly due to agricultural intensification.