Planalto tapaculo

Scytalopus pachecoi

Photo by Adrian Rupp (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
planalto tapaculo (en); tapaculo-ferreirinho (pt); mérulaxe de Pacheco (fr); churrín del planalto (es); Pachecotapaculo (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Rhynocryptidae

Range:
This species is found in three small areas in southern Brazil and marginally into northern Argentina. These areas are Serra do Sudeste in Rio Grande do Sul, Missiones in Argentina, and the highests parts of the plateau in north-eastern Rio Grande do Sul and south-eastern Santa Catarina.

Size:
These birds are 12 cm long and weigh 13-17 g.

Habitat:
The planalto tapaculo is mostly found along the edges of moist tropical rainforests, especially along small rivers and streams. They also use bamboo stands and second growths. This species is present from sea level up to an altitude of 400 m.

Diet:
They feed on small arthropods.

Breeding:
There is no available information regarding the reproduction of this species.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large but fragmented breeding range. The global population size has not been quantified, but it is described as locally common. The planalto tapaculo is thought to be experiencing habitat loss and is thus suspected to be in decline, but their ability to adapt to secondary habitats suggests they are not threatened at present.

Buff-tailed sicklebill

Eutoxeres condamini

(Photo from Agami Photography)

Common name:
buff-tailed sicklebill (en); bico-de-foice-de-cauda-acanelada (pt); bec-en-faucille de La Condamine (fr); picohoz colicanela (es); rotschwanz-sichelschnabel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Apodiformes
Family Trochilidae

Range:
This species is found in the eastern slopes of the Andes, and adjacent lowland areas, from southern Colombia to northern Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 12-15 cm long and weigh 8-12,5 g.

Habitat:
The buff-tailed sicklebill is mostly found in the understorey of moist tropical forests, especially in mountainous areas, but also in the lowlands. They also use plantations, bamboo stands and arable land. They are present at altitudes of 200-3.300 m.

Diet:
They feed mainly on nectar, their bill being adapted to the shape of certain flowers, particularly Centropogon and Heliconia. They also catch small arthropods.

Breeding:
Buff-tailed sicklebills breed in September-February. The nest is an elongated cup, made of mosses, rhizomes and other fine plant materials, and lined with palm-leaf pinnules and other course materials. It is suspended from a palm leaf, 1-2 m above the ground, and often placed near or above a stream. The female lays 2 eggs, which she incubates alone for 16-18 days. The chicks fledge 22-24 days after hatching and reach sexual maturity at 1-2 years of age.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as uncommon. It is suspected to lose 16.% of suitable habitat within its distribution over the next decade, based on a model of Amazonian deforestation, therefore it is suspected to suffer a small decline in the near future.

Snow bunting

Plectrophenax nivalis

Photo by David Beadle (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
snow bunting (en); escrevedeira-das-neves (pt); plectrophane des neiges (fr); escribano nival (es); schneeammer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae

Range:
This species breeds throughout the northernmost parts of Europe, Asia and North America, from Iceland and Scandinavia to northern Siberia and Kamchatka, in Alaska and northern Canada and along the western and southern coast of Greenland. They migrate south to winter as far south as England, northern France, Hungary, Romania, Kazakhstan, northern China, northern Japan and Colorado and Virginia in the United States. Some population in Alaska and Iceland are resident.

Size:
These birds are 15-19 cm long and have a wingspan of 30-33 cm. They weigh 30-46 g.

Habitat:
They breed in tundra grasslands and rocky areas such as boulder fields or sea cliffs near vegetated areas. Outside the breeding season the snow bunting they are are found in coastal areas, along lake shores, saltmarshes, and also in tundra grasslands and agricultural areas.

Diet:
They forage on the ground, taking the seeds of various grasses, weed and sedges, buds and also insects, spiders and small marine crustaceans.

Breeding:
Snow buntings are monogamous and breed in May-July. The nest is built by the female, consisting of a thick-walled cup made of moss and grass, lined with fine grasses, rootlets, fur and feathers. It is placed in a rock cavity or crack, or in some cases in human-made sites, including buildings, rubble, barrels, boxes and metal cans. The female lays 2-7 creamy-white eggs with brown spots, which she incubates alone for 10-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10-15 days after hatching, but continue to receive food from the parents for another 8-12 days. In Arctic regions each pair raises a single brood per season, but they may raise 2 broods in more southern areas.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population estimated to be over 40 million individuals. The population is North America has undergone a large decline of over 20% per decade over the last 4 decades. The reasons for this decline are unknown, but may be linked to a shift in the species’ distribution as a result of climate change. The use of pesticides may pose a threat to snow buntings in some parts of their range.

Rufous-tailed jacamar

Galbula ruficauda

(Photo from So Much Science)

Common name:
rufous-tailed jacamar (en); ariramba-de-cauda-ruiva (pt); jacamar à queue rousse (fr); jacamará colirrufo (es); rotschwanz-glanzvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galbuliformes
Family Galbulidae

Range:
This species is found from southern Mexico down to western Colombia, north-western Ecuador, northern Venezuela and the Guyanas. Also in Brazil south of the Amazon river, from Pará and Maranhão down to São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul, and west into Bolivia and northern Paraguay.

Size:
These birds are 22-25 cm long and weigh 20-33,5 g.

Habitat:
The rufous-tailed jacamar is mostly found along the edges of moist tropical forests, also using forest clearings and openings along rivers and streams. They can also be found in tall second growths, cacao plantations, mangroves, dry tropical forests and even arid scrublands. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 900 m.

Diet:
They hunt flying insects by sallying out from a perch, preferring butterflies, dragonflies, wasps and flies, but also taking grasshoppers and bugs. They are known to take poisonous butterflies that other animals avoid, being able to selectively eat the meaty, non-toxic body parts, namely the thoracic muscles and abdomen, and discard the rest.

Breeding:
Rufous-tailed jacamars can breed all year round, varying between different parts of their range. They are monogamous and nest in a 30-40 cm long burrow, excavated by both sexes
in almost any vertical or steeply inclined surface of bare earth, including steep slopes, banks, gully walls, clay adhering to fallen tree roots, and termitaries. The female lays 2-4 white eggs with cinnamon spots, which are incubated by both parents for 19-23 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 18-26 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 0,5-5 million individuals. Despite this species tolerance of degraded and man-made habitats declines have been reported in Panama and Costa Rica owing to hunting pressure, human interference and habitat loss.

Puna thistletail

Asthenes helleri

Photo by Cock Reijnders (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
puna thistletail (en); lenheiro-da-puna (pt); synallaxe de Heller (fr); piscuiz de la puna (es); punadistelschwanz (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This species is only found in a small area in southern Peru and marginally into western Bolivia, from the Vilcabamba-Ururbamba region, of central and southern Cusco, south through Limbani and Sandia in Puno, and into La Paz, Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 17-18,5 cm long and weigh 13-17 g.

Habitat:
The puna thistletail is found in humid elfin forests and puna grassland, mostly along the tree-line at altitudes of 2.800-3.600 m.

Diet:
They are insectivorous, gleaning arthropods from live foliage, branches as well as mosses and lichens.

Breeding:
Puna thistletails breed in September-December. The nest is a domed structure made of grass and twigs, placed on a clump of bunch grass up to 0,8 m above the ground, usually facing the edge of the elfin forests, 1-2 m away from the forest edge. The female lays 2 eggs. there is no information regarding the incubation and fledgling periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is considered fairly common at a small number of localities. However, it is suspected to lose over 30% suitable habitat within its range in the next 10 years, based on a model of Amazonian deforestation, which given the susceptibility of the species to habitat fragmentation may cause a decline of over 30% over the same period. Beside accelerated deforestation, grazing and burning in the Andean tree line habitat may cause further habitat destruction and fragmentation.

Reed cormorant

Phalacrocorax africanus

Photo by Derek Keats (Flickr)

Common name:
reed cormorant (en); corvo-marinho-africano (pt); cormorant africain (fr); cormorán africano (es); riedscharbe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Pelecaniformes
Family Phalacrocoracidae

Range:
The reed cormorant is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, including Madagascar, being found from Mauritania to Sudan and down to South Africa.

Size:
These small cormorants are 50-55 cm long and have a wingspan of 85 cm. They weigh 500-600 g.

Habitat:
The reed cormorant is mostly found in wetlands with shallow sheltered waters, fringing vegetation, emergent trees, and gently sloping banks, but can be found in virtually any freshwater wetland within its range with the exception of very fast-flowing streams. They also use inland alkaline lakes, coastal lagoons, estuaries, mangroves and occasionally rocky shores.

Diet:
They hunt a wide range of fishes, frogs, crustaceans, aquatic insects, molluscs and even smaller birds. Cichlid fishes such as Haplochromis sp., Pseudocrenilabrus sp. and Sarotherodon sp. are particularly important prey in some areas.

Breeding:
Reed cormorants can breed all year round, varying between different parts of their range. They are monogamous and usually colonial, often forming mixed colonies with egrets, herons and darters. The nest in built by both sexes, consisting of a messy platform of sticks and dead reeds, with a cup in the centre which is lined with grass. It is typically placed in the fork of a tree over water, or in a large reed bed or even on the ground, but most often 0,5-6 m above the ground. The female lays 3-4 eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 23-24 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 3 weeks after hatching, but only become fully independent some 4 weeks later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and is described as common and widespread. The overall population trend is decreasing, but some population are stable or even increasing as dam construction creates new areas of favourable habitat.

Black-chinned babbler

Stachyris pyrrhops

Photo by Gunjan Arora (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
black-chinned babbler (en); zaragateiro-de-garganta-preta (pt); timalie à bec rouge (fr); timalí barbinegro (es); schwarzkinntimalie (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is found in the southern slopes of the Himalayas, in northern India, Nepal and marginally into north-eastern Pakistan.

Size:
These tiny babblers are 10-12 cm long and weigh 8-11,5 g.

Habitat:
The black-chinned is mostly found in the understorey of temperate forests, also using moist tropical forests and scrublands. They are restricted to the lower foothills at altitudes of 250-2.750 m.

Diet:
They forage among the foliage, taking insects, spider and other arthropods, including larvae and eggs. They also take small fruits and berries, seeds and occasionally flower, pollen and nectar.

Breeding:
Black-chinned babblers breed in April-June. They nest in a cup or dome made of dry leaves and reeds and lined with pine needles and plant fibres. The nest is usually placed in a low scrub. The female lays 3-4 white eggs with pale red blotches. Both sexes incubate and feed the young, but thre is no information regarding the length of the incubation and fledgling periods.

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