Grey-capped warbler

Eminia lepida

Photo by Antti Seelaff (Flickr)

Common name:
grey-capped warbler (en); fuinha-de-barrete-cinzento (pt); éminie à calotte grise (fr); eminia (es); eminie (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Cisticolidae

Range:
This African species is found from southern South Sudan and extreme north-eastern D.R.Congo, through Uganda and south-western Kenya, and into Burundi, Rwanda and northern Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 13-14 cm long and weigh 18-20 g.

Habitat:
The grey-capped warbler is mostly found in moist tropical scrublands, also using the undergrowth of moist tropical forests and rural gardens. they favour areas near rivers, streams or waterfalls.

Diet:
They are insectivorous.

Breeding:
Grey-capped warblers nest in a cup made of plant fibres, where the female lays 2-3 eggs. The eggs are incubated for 12-13 days and the chicks fledge 16 days after hatching.

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

Madagascar partridge

Margaroperdix madagascariensis

(Photo from Pinterest)

Common name:
Madagascar partridge (en); perdiz-de-Madagáscar (pt); perdrix de Madagascar (fr); perdiz malgache (es); perlwachtel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Madagascar, being found throughout the country with the exception of the south-western coast. It has also been introduced to Réunion and Mauritius.

Size:
These birds are 24-28 cm long and weigh about 220 g.

Habitat:
The Madagascar partridge is found in tropical grasslands and scrublands, and also in clearings within moist tropical forests and in arable land. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.700 m.

Diet:
They feed mainly on seeds, but also take berries and insects.

Breeding:
Madagascar partridges are monogamous and breed in March-June. They nest on a simple scrape in the ground, often hidden under a tuft of grass or scrub. The female lays 8-20 eggs rufous-brown eggs with dark brown mottles which are incubated for 18-19 days. The chicks are nidifugous, leaving the nest soon after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 20.000-50.000 individuals. This species is declining owing to habitat degradation caused by annual fires and over-hunting, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Island canary

Serinus canaria

(Photo from Flickr)

Common name:
island canary (en); canário-da-terra (pt); serin des Canaries (fr); canario silvestre (es); kanarengirlitz (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Fringillidae

Range:
This species is native of the north-eastern Atlantic archipelagos of Madeira, Azores and the Canary islands. It has also been introduced to Bermuda, Puerto Rico and the Hawaiian Islands, and the domestic form is a popular cage bird worldwide.

Size:
These birds are 12,5-13,5 cm long and have a wingspan of 23 cm. They weigh 15-25 g.

Habitat:
The island canary is found in a variety of habitats, including dry scrublands, laurel forests, pine forests, open woodlands, pastures, arable land, orchards and rural gardens. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.700 m.

Diet:
They forage mainly on the ground, taking the seeds of various grasses and weeds, but also eat fig seeds and the buds of leaves and flowers. During the breeding season the diet may be complemented with insects.

Breeding:
Island canaries breed in January-June. The nest is built by the female while the male defends the territory. The nest is an open cup made of grasses, roots and moss and lined with hair and feathers. It is placed high up in a thick scrub or tree. The female lays 3-5 pale blue-green eggs with reddish-brown spots, which she incubates alone for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-17 days after hatching, but only become fully independent some 3 weeks later. They become sexually mature at 3-4 months of age. Each pair raises 1-2 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 60.000-300.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Lesser seedcracker

Pyrenestes minor

Photo by Johann Grobbelaar (Grob Images)

Common name:
lesser seedcracker (en); quebra-sementes-do-Niassa (pt); petit pyréneste (fr); estrilda piquigorda chica (es); kleiner purpurastrild (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Estrildidae

Range:
This species is found in East Africa, from southern Tanzania, through Malawi and into central Mozambique and marginally across the border into Zimbabwe.

Size:
These birds are 13-14 cm long and weigh 14 g.

Habitat:
The lesser seedcracker is found in wet tropical grasslands and scrublands, and along the edges of tropical forests, typically favouring areas along rivers and streams or surrounding wetlands. They are present at altitudes of 700-1.800 m.

Diet:
They feed mainly on grass seeds, also taking small arthropods such as aphids, termites and spiders.

Breeding:
Lesser seedcrackers breed in December-May. The nest is mainly built by the male, consisting of an untidy oval structure with a short entrance tunnel on one side, made of broad strips of grass, reeds and leaves. It is typically placed in a fork of a tree or scrub, 1,5-3 m above ground. There the female lays 3-5 eggs which are incubated by both parents for about 15 days. The chicks fledge 20-23 days after hatching.

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

Long-whiskered owlet-nightjar

Aegotheles crinifrons

Photo by Ong Kiem Sian (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
long-whiskered owlet-nightjar (en); noitibó-coruja-das-Molucas (pt); égothèle des Moluques (fr); egotelo moluqueño (es); Molukkenschwalm (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Caprimulgiformes
Family Aegothelidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the Mollucas Islands, in Indonesia, being found in North Maluku, Halmahera, Kasiruta and Bacan.

Size:
These birds are 27-31 cm long and weigh 105-170 g.

Habitat:
These birds are found in moist tropical forests and plantations, from sea level up to an altitude of 1.800 m.

Diet:
They feed on insects and other small arthropods.

Breeding:
Long-whiskered owlet-nightjars nest in tree hollows. The female lays 2-5 eggs which are incubated by both parents for about 4 weeks. The chicks fledge 3-5 weeks after hatching.

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

Swynnerton's robin

Swynnertonia swynnertoni

Photo by Francois du Plessis (Outdoor Photo)

Common name:
Swynnerton's robin (en); pisco-de-peitilho (pt); rougegorge de Swynnerton (fr); ruiseñor de Swynnerton (es); swynnertonrötel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This African species is is restricted to a few mountains in eastern Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Tanzania, namely at Chirinda and a few other tiny forest patches along the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, in Mount Gorongosa and Mount Mabu in northern Mozambique, and in the Udzungwa Mountains and the East Usambara Mountains in Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 13-14 cm long and weigh 14-20 g.

Habitat:
The Swynnerton's robn is mostly found in the understorey of mountain rainforests, also using lowland rainforests in Tanzania. They prefer dense undergrowth with a high density of saplings, or rank growth near streams. This species is present at altitudes of 150-1.850 m.

Diet:
They feed mainly on beetles, namely Buprestidae, Carabidae, Curculionidae, Elateridae and Scarabidae, but also take flies, wasps, bees, ants, spiders, millipedes and small frogs. fruits are also taken sometimes. They often catch prey fleeing from swarms of African driver ants Anomma wilverthi.

Breeding:
These birds breed in October-December. The nest is an open cup made of dead leaves, tendrils, rootlets, moss and leaf midribs, lined with dark plant fibres, and typically placed at the base of a dragon-tree Dracaena leaf, in a hollow of a tree stump, a forked stem of a scrub or on a platform formed by interlaced liana stems, up to 2 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-3 blue-green eggs with brown spots and blotches, which she incubates alone for 14-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a relatively small and very patchy breeding range. The global population is estimated at 2.500-10.000 individuals and is suspected to be declining, owing primarily to habitat clearance, degradation and disturbance across its range. The main causes for habitat loss and degradations are pole-cutting, firewood-collection, cultivation, clearance for new settlements, illegal pit-saw logging, gold mining, spread of non-native plants and uncontrolled fires. Conservation actions include protection areas, forest restoration and creation of corridors to link existing forest patches.

Buffy tuftedcheek

Pseudocolaptes lawrencii

Photo by Joe Tobias (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
buffy tuftedcheek (en); barba-branca-castanho (pt); anabate chamois (fr); barbablanca habana (es); Panamaschopfohr (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This species is found in the mountains of Costa Rica and Panama.

Size:
These birds are 20 cm long and weigh about 50 g.

Habitat:
The buffy tuftedcheek is mostly found in mountain rainforests, but can also use rainforests at lower altitudes and second growths. they are present at altitudes of 700-3.000 m.

Diet:
They hunt insects, spiders and small amphibians.

Breeding:
These birds nest in abandoned woodpecker nests, usually 5-10 m above the ground. There the female lays a single white egg, which she incubates alone for around 29 days. There is no information regarding the fledgling period.

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