Minas gerais tyrannulet

Phylloscartes roquettei

Photo by Nick Athanas (Antpitta)

Common name:
Minas Gerais tyrannulet (en); cara-dourada (pt); tyranneau de Minas Gerais (fr); orejerito de Minas Gerais (es); gelbbürzel-laubtyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species is endemic to south-eastern Brazil, only being found in northern Minas Gerais and southern Bahia.

Size:
These birds are 11-12 cm long and weigh about 8 g.

Habitat:
The Minas Gerais tyrannulet is found in dry tropical forests, riparian forests and semi-deciduous forests within cerrado including second growths and forest fragments. They occur at altitudes of 400-900 m.

Diet:
They forage in pairs or family groups, taking small arthropods from the foliage.

Breeding:
Minas Gerais tyrannulets possibly breed in October-February. The nest is a small, globular structure. There is no further information on the reproduction of this species.

Conservation:
IUCN status - EN (Endangered)
This species has a large breeding range but the global population is estimated at just 1.500-7.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be declining at a very rapid rate due to habitat loss through charcoal burning, forest cutting for pasture, cattle ranching and agricultural development. The São Francisco basin is also threatened by limestone quarrying and a large-scale irrigation project that has already resulted in the loss of large areas of forest.

Peruvian wren

Cinnycerthia peruana

Photo by Nick Athanas (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Peruvian wren (en); carriça-do-Perú (pt); troglodyte brun (fr); cucarachero peruano (es); sepiazaunkönig (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Troglodytidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Peru, being found in the eastern Andes from Amazonas to Ayacucho.

Size:
These birds are 15,5-16 cm long and weigh about 20 g.

Habitat:
The Peruvian wren is found in mountain rainforests, including forests edges and nearby second growths, at altitudes of 1.500-3.400 m.

Diet:
They forage on or near the ground, possibly taking small invertebrates.

Breeding:
Peruvian wrens possibly breed in June-February. The nest is purse-shaped and made of small roots interwoven with green moss. It is placed hanging from a bamboo. There the female lays 2 creamy-white eggs with reddish-brown spots. There is no information regarding the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is described as common. However, the population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation.

Wire-crested thorntail

Discosura popelairii

Photo by Niels Dreyer (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
wire-crested thorntail (en); bandeirinha-de-Popelaire (pt); coquette de Popelaire (fr); rabudito crestado (es); haubenfadenelfe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Apodiformes
Family Trochilidae

Range:
This species is found along the eastern slopes of the Andes, from central Colombia to southern Peru.

Size:
These birds are sexually dimorphic. The females are 7,5-8 cm long, while the males are up to 11,5 cm long including the elongated tail feathers. They weigh about 2,5 g.

Habitat:
The wire-crested thorntail is found in moist tropical forests at altitudes of 400-1.200 m.

Diet:
They feed mainly on nectar, particularly of Inga trees, but also take some arthropods.

Breeding:
The is little information about the reproduction of wire-crested thorntails. One nest was found in Colombia, in April, placed at the end of a tree branch about 8 m above the ground.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a large breeding range but is described as generally rare to uncommon. Although there is no data on population trends, the wire-crested thorntail is suspected to lose 28% of suitable habitat within its range over the next decade based on a model of Amazonian deforestation, being therefore suspected to suffer a moderately rapid decline in the near future.

Mountain wren-babbler

Napothera crassa

Photo by James Eaton (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
mountain wren-babbler (en); zaragateiro-pequeno-montês (pt); turdinule des montagnes (fr); ratina montana (es); blasskehltimalie (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is endemic to northern Borneo, being found along the border between Malaysia and Indonesia, and also in Brunei.

Size:
These birds are 14 cm long and weigh about 25 g.

Habitat:
The mountain wren-babbler is found in dense, moist tropical forests, mainly in mountainous areas, but also at lower altitudes.

Diet:
They feed on insects, such as grasshoppers, and small snails.

Breeding:
Mountain wren-babblers breed in February-August. They nest in a cup made of grasses, placed in moss-covered bank by a forest trail. The female lays 2 white eggs. There is no information regarding the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is described as uncommon in Sabah and common in Mount Kinabalu National Park and in Gunung Niut Nature Reserve. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation.

Crescent honeyeater

Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus

Photo by J.J. Harrison (Wikipedia)

Common name:
crescent honeyeater (en); melífago-d'asa-dourada (pt); méliphage à croissants (fr); mielero alifuego (es); goldflügel-honigfresser (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Meliphagidae

Range:
This species is found in endemic to south-eastern Australia, being found from north-eastern New South Wales to south-eastern South Australia, and in Tasmania and islands in the Bass Strait.

Size:
These birds are 14-17 cm long and have a wingspan of 16-23 cm. They weigh 12-23 g.

Habitat:
The crescent honeyeater is mostly found in tall, Eucalyptus-dominated sclerophyll forests, also using dry scrublands, plantations and urban areas.

Diet:
They feed on nectar, fruit and insects, as well as manna, honeydew and lerp.

Breeding:
Crescent honeyeaters can breed all year round and form long-term pair bonds. They nest in loose colonies, each female building a deep cup made of of cobweb, bark, grass, twigs, roots and other plant materials, and lined with grass, down, moss and fur. It is placed in the centre of a scrub, often near water. there she lays 2-3 pale pink eggs with lavender and chestnut splotches, which she incubates alone for 13 days. The chicks are raised by both parents and fledge 13 days after hatching, but only become fully independent about 2 weeks later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a 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.

Eurasian sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

Photo by Tomi Muukkonen (Vogelwarte)

Common name:
Eurasian sparrowhawk (en); gavião-da-Europa (pt); épervier d'Europe (fr); gavilán común (es); sperber (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Falconiformes
Family Accipitridae

Range:
This species breeds throughout most of Eurasia, from western Europe to eastern Russia and south to Japan, Korea and central China. They also breed in Morocco, Tunisia, northern Algeria and the Canary Islands. The more northern and eastern populations migrate south to winter in southern Asia and in eastern Africa along the Nile basin.

Size:
These birds are 28-40 cm long and have a wingspan of 56-78. Females tend to be larger than males, weighing 185-350 g while males weigh 105-195 g.

Habitat:
The Eurasian sparrowhawk is found in a wide range of forest habitats, including coniferous, deciduous and mixed in boreal, temperate and tropical areas, usually favouring areas interspersed with open areas such as scrublands, savannas and arable land. They also use plantations, rural gardens and urban areas. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 4.500 m.

Diet:
They mainly hunt passerines, but can take birds up to the size of a pigeon, jay or even a small grouse. Occasionally, also small mammals such as voles, shrews, young rabbits and squirrels, and small lizards and amphibians, and rarely insects and carrion.

Breeding:
Eurasian sparrowhawks are monogamous and breed in April-August. the nest is mainly built by the male, consisting of a platform of sticks and twigs placed in a fork in a tree about 6-12 m above the ground. There the female lays 3-6 white eggs which she incubates alone for 32-34 days while the male brings her food. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 24-30 days after hatching, but only become fully independent 20-30 days later. they reach sexual maturity at 1-3 years of age.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and the global population is estimated to be above 1,5 million individuals. In Europe the population is suspected to be stable at present. The population suffered dramatic declines during the 1950s and 1960s due to widespread use of organochlorine pesticides such as DDT, but it has since recovered following bans on harmful pesticides.

Littoral rock-thrush

Monticola imerinus

Photo by Frank Vassen (Flickr)

Common name:
littoral rock-thrush (en); melro-das-rochas-do-litoral (pt); monticole du littoral (fr); roquero litoral (es); dünenrötel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Turdidade

Range:
This species is endemic to southern Madagascar, being found in coastal areas from Tulear to Tolanaro.

Size:
These birds are 16 cm long.

Habitat:
The littoral rock-thrush is mostly found in dry, sandy, coastal scrublands, such as Euphorbia, mainly in dunes and coral rag. They also use dry savannas and forests, pastures and rural gardens. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 200 m.

Diet:
They feed on berries, fruits and insects.

Breeding:
Littoral rock-thrushes breed in October-February. The nest is a bowl made of moss, lichens and other plant fibres, and lined with feathers. There is no further information about the reproduction of this species.

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

Chestnut woodpecker

Celeus elegans

Photo by Maxime Dechelle (GEPOG)

Common name:
chestnut woodpecker (en); pica-pau-chocolate (pt); pic mordoré (fr); carpintero elegante (es); fahlkopfspech (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae

Range:
This species is found in northern South America, east of the Andes, from eastern Colombia and eastern Venezuela, through the Guyanas and Trinidad, and into Maranhão e north-eastern Brazil, and south to northern Bolivia and Mato Grosso e central Brazil.

Size:
These birds are 26-32 cm long and weigh 95-170 g.

Habitat:
The chestnut woodpecker is mostly found in tall, moist tropical forests, including terra firme forests, gallery forests and swamp forests, but also use cocoa plantations. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.100 m.

Diet:
They feed on ants, termites and fly larvae, as well as berries and fruits such as Cecropia, citrus and introduced mangos.

Breeding:
Chestnut woodpeckers breed in January-May. They nest in cavities excavated by both sexes into the wood of a dead tree. The female lays 2-4 white eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 11-14 days. The chicks fledge 18-35 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range but is described as uncommon. The chestnut woodpecker is suspected to lose 15-18% of suitable habitat within its range over the next 15 years based on a model of Amazonian deforestation. It is therefore suspected to suffer a small decline in the near future.

Spangled cotinga

Cotinga cayana

Photo by Greg Hume (Wikipedia)

Common name:
spangled cotinga (en); cotinga-pintada (pt); cotinga de Cayenne (fr); cotinga celeste (es); türkisblaue kotinga (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Cotingidae

Range:
This species is found in northern South America, east of the Andes, from eastern Colombia and south eastern Venezuela south to Mato Grosso in central Brazil, and to central Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 20-21,5 cm long and weigh 55-75 g.

Habitat:
The spangled cotinga is found in the canopy of moist tropical forests, mainly from sea level up to an altitude of 800 m, but occasionally up to 1.300 m.

Diet:
They are mainly frugivorous, taking various berries and fruits, but also eat some insects.

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

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range but is described as uncommon. The spangled cotinga is suspected to lose 14-16% of suitable habitat within its range over the next decade, based on a model of Amazonian deforestation, so is suspected suffer a small decline in the near future.

Knob-billed fruit-dove

Ptilinopus insolitus

Photo by Laurens Steijn (Dutch Birding)

Common name:
knob-billed fruit-dove (en); pombo-da-fruta-de-capacete (pt); ptilope casqué (fr); tilopo insólito (es); knopffruchttaube (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Columbiformes
Family Columbidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the Bismarck archipelago of eastern Papua-New Guinea.

Size:
These birds are 22-24 cm long and weigh 115-145 g.

Habitat:
The knob-billed fruit-dove is found in forests habitat, including both dry and moist tropical forests, forests edges and disturbed area. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.

Diet:
They are frugivorous, eating wild figs and other fruits.

Breeding:
These birds can probably breed all year round. The nest is a thin platform of twigs, placed in a scrub or tree with dense foliage. The female lays a single white egg, which is incubated for about 19 days. The chicks obtain their full plumage in 2 weeks, but there is no information regarding the length of the fledging period.

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

Hudson's canastero

Asthenes hudsoni

Photo by Juan Maria Raggio (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Hudson's canastero (en); joão-platino (pt); synallaxe de Hudson (fr); canastero pampeano (es); nördlicher flügelspiegelcanastero (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Furnariidae

Range:
This species is found in south-western Uruguay and in eastern Argentina from Santa Fe to southern Buenos Aires. Also marginally into Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil.

Size:
These birds are 18 cm long.

Habitat:
The Hudson's canastero is found in temperate grasslands, including areas with tall wet grass such as Paspalum quadrifarium, sedges near wetlands, and seasonally inundated grasslands dominated by Spartina densiflora. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 950 m.

Diet:
They are insectivorous, taking caterpillars, beetles, stink bugs, grasshoppers and ants, which they glean from the ground or from low vegetation.

Breeding:
These birds are presumed to be monogamous and nest in November-January. The nest is placed on or near the ground and the female lays 3-4 eggs. There is no available information regarding the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as uncommon to locally fairly common. The population is suspected to be experiencing a moderately rapid decline owing primarily to the on-going loss of habitat through land conversion for cultivation, livestock grazing and urbanization. The species is probably also susceptible to pollution.

Vinous-throated parrotbill

Paradoxornis webbianus

(Photo from Natural Island, Yea! Taiwan)

Common name:
vinous-throated parrotbill (en); bico-de-papagaio-de-Webb (pt); paradoxornis de Webb (fr); picoloro de Webb (es); braunkopf-papageischnabel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Paradoxornithidae

Range:
This species is found in throughout eastern China, and into Korea and extreme south-eastern Russia, as well as Taiwan. It has also been introduced in Italy, where feral populations are becoming established.

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

Habitat:
The vinous-throated parrotbill is found in various types of scrubland, also using marshes and swamps, moist tropical forests, second growths and plantation. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 3.100 m.

Diet:
They feed mainly on seeds, flowers, fruits and buds, but also take insects such as grasshoppers and caterpillars.

Breeding:
These birds are monogamous and breed in April-August. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a cup made of grasses, reed strips, dry leaves, bamboo, bark, plant fibres, twigs and dry roots. It is lined with finer grasses, hairs and feathers and placed in a reed, bamboo, vine or fork in a scrub or small tree, up to 3 m above the ground. There the female lays 3-7 pale blue to turquoise eggs which are incubated by both parents for 13-15 days. The chicks are fed  by both parents and fledge 9-10 days after hatching. Each pair usually raises 2 broods per season.

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

Auckland snipe

Coenocorypha aucklandica

Photo by Kirk Zufelt (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Auckland snipe (en); narceja-austral-das-Auckland (pt); bécassine des Auckland (fr); chochita de las Auckland (es); Aucklandschnepfe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae

Range:
This species is endemic to New Zealand, where it is found on the Auckland Islands, the Antipodes Islands and Jacquemart Island in the Campbell Island group.

Size:
These birds are 21-24 cm long and have a wingspan of 30-35 cm. They weigh 80-130 g.

Habitat:
The Auckland snipe is found in areas with dense ground cover, including tussock grasslands on cliff tops and moist scrubland.

Diet:
They feed mainly on soil invertebrates, such as earthworms, amphipods, adult and larval insects and fly larvae and pupae.

Breeding:
Auckland snipes are mainly monogamous and polygyny also takes place. They breed in August-April. They nest on the ground, where the female lays 2 eggs which are incubated by both sexes for about 22 days. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and often each chick follows one of the parents who protects and feeds it for 41-65 days.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a small breeding range and the global population is estimated at 20.000-50.000 individuals. The Auckland snipe was affected by introduced predators, but current efforts to eradicate these predators and reintroduce the species to the Campbell islands halted previous population declines. In past there were local extinctions in several islands, due to the introduction of Pacific rats Rattus exulans, cats, pigs and wekas Gallirallus australis which prey on their eggs and young.

Dusky-tailed antbird

Drymophila malura

Photo by Dario Sanches (Wikipedia)

Common name:

dusky-tailed antbird (en); choquinha-carijó (pt); grisin malure (fr); tiluchí estriado oriental (es); olivrücken-ameisenfänger (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Thamnophilidae

Range:

This species is found in south-eastern Brazil, from Minas Gerais south to northern Rio Grande do Sul, and into eastern Paraguay and extreme north-eastern Argentina.

Size:

These birds are 13,5-14,5 cm long and weigh 11-13 g.

Habitat:

The dusky-tailed antbird is found on the understorey of moist tropical forests, mainly in lowland areas, but also in mountainous areas up to an altitude of 1.900 m.

Diet:

They feed on insects and possibly also spiders.

Breeding:

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

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a large breeding range and is described as fairly common but patchily distributed. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Fawn-breasted bowerbird

Chlamydera cerviniventris

Photo by Dick Daniels (Wikipedia)

Common name:
fawn-breasted bowerbird (en); jardineiro-de-peito-fulvo (pt); jardinier à poitrine fauve (fr); pergolero pechipardo (es); braunbauch-laubenvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Ptilonorhynchidae

Range:
This species is found in north-western and eastern New Guinea, and also in northern Queensland, Australia.

Size:
These birds are about 30 cm long. The males tend to be larger than females, weighing 145-182 g while the females weigh 117-170 g.

Habitat:
The fawn-breasted bowerbird is mostly found in moist tropical forests, also using mangroves, dry savannas, dry scrublands, plantations, rural gardens and even urban areas. they occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.800 m.

Diet:
They feed on fruits and insects, including beetles and caterpillars.

Breeding:
Fawn-breasted bowerbirds can breed all year round. They are polygynous, with males building elaborate bowers where they display to attract females. After matting the female builds the nest, a fairly large bowl made of sticks, vine tendrils and bark strips, which is lined with finer twigs and sometimes grass stems. The nest is placed in a tree or scrub, up to 10 m above the ground. There the female lays a 1-2 cream or pale olive green eggs with brownish markings which she incubates alone, but there is no information on the length of the incubation period. the chicks fledge about 3 weeks after hatching.

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

Erckel's francolin

Pternistis erckelii

Photo by Jim Denny (Flickr)

Common name:
Erckel's francolin (en); francolim-de-Erckell (pt); francolin d'Erckel (fr); francolín de Erckel (es); Erckelfrankolin (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae

Range:
This species is found in Eritrea, northern Ethiopia and eastern Sudan.

Size:
These birds are 39-43 cm long and weigh 1.050-1.590 g.

Habitat:
The Erckel's francolin is mostly found in high-altitude scrublands, favouring areas dominated by Carissa, Rumex, Maytenus and Rosa, but also use moist tropical forests, rivers and stream. They occur at altitudes of 2.000-3.500 m.

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

Breeding:
Erckel's francolins breed in April-November and are believed to be monogamous. They nest in a scrape in the ground, where the female lays 4-10 eggs. The eggs are incubated for 21-23 days and the chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and follow the mother around while being able to feed themselves.

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

Island monarch

Monarcha cinerascens

Photo by Joseph Monkhouse (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
island monarch (en); monarca-ilhéu (pt); monarque des ilês (fr); monarca isleño (es); graukopfmonarch (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Monarchidae

Range:
This species is found in the islands of eastern Indonesia, west of New Guinea, including Timor, Sulawesi, the Moluccas and the Lesser Sundas, and also on the islands off northern and eastern New Guinea and in the Solomon islands.

Size:
These birds are 16,5-19 cm long and weigh about 30 g.

Habitat:
The island monarch is mostly found in moist tropical forests, in low hills and lower mountainous areas. They also use coastal dry scrublands and plantations.

Diet:
They feed primarily on small invertebrates, such as ants, small cockroaches, grasshoppers, thrips and springtails, also eating fruits such as wild figs.

Breeding:
Island monarchs can possibly breed all year round. The nest is a bulky cup made of dried grass, plant fibres, black vine tendrils and moss, and is placed on a sloping fork of a scrub or small tree 6-17 m above the ground or over water. The female lays 1-2 eggs, but there is no available information regarding the incubation and fledging periods.

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

Beautiful jay

Cyanolyca pulchra

Photo by Andrew Spencer (Facebook)

Common name:
beautiful jay (en); gaio-formoso (pt); geai superbe (fr); chara hermosa (es); schmuckhäher (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Corvidae

Range:
This species is found in the western slopes of the Andes, from central Colombia to northern Ecuador.

Size:
These birds are about 27 cm long.

Habitat:
The beautiful jay is found in subtropical rainforests, favouring areas with dense understorey, particularly along watercourses and in marshy areas. They occur at altitudes of 900-2.300, favouring dense

Diet:
They forage on the forest understorey, taking arthropods such as grasshoppers, dragonflies, butterflies, spider, centipedes, ticks and mites.

Breeding:
Beautiful jays breed in March-June. They nest in a cup made of sticks and moss, and lined with fine plant fibres, which is placed in a small tree or scrub, about 3 m above the ground. The female lays 2 eggs. there is no information regarding the incubation period, but the chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 24 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a relatively large breeding range, but is described as rare and patchily distributed. The population is suspected to be declining at a slow to moderate rate due to ongoing habitat loss. The beautiful jay is extremely sensitive to human disturbance and appears almost exclusively dependent upon primary forest which are threatened by unplanned colonisation following the completion of roads, and massive logging concessions, as well as cattle-grazing, mining and coca and palm cultivation. In Chocó, 40% of all forests have been cleared or degraded since the 1960s.

Long-tailed duck

Clangula hyemalis

Photo by Wolfgang Wander (Wikipedia)

Common name:
long-tailed duck (en); pato-de-cauda-afilada (pt); harelde kakawi (fr); pato havelda (es); eisente (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae

Range:
This species breeds in northernmost latitudes of Eurasia and North America, from Iceland, Scandinavia and the Baltic, throughout northern Russia, and into Alaska, northern Canada and western and southern Greenland. They migrate south along the coasts of the Atlantic and the Pacific, as far south as the British Isles, Korea and northern Japan, south-western British Columbia and Virginia.

Size:
These birds are sexually dimorphic, with males being larger than females. The males are 51-60 cm long, including the 15 cm long tail, and weigh 650-900 g. Females are 37-47 cm long and weigh 550-800g. They have a wingspan of 73-79 cm.

Habitat:
The long-tailed duck breeds on small tundra lakes, pools, bogs, rivers, tundra grasslands and coastal sites of the high Arctic. Outside the breeding season they are mostly found at sea, usually in shallow offshore waters, but also in estuaries, brackish lagoons and freshwater lakes.

Diet:
They feed mainly on crustaceans, molluscs, and other marine invertebrates such as echinoderms and worms, but also fishes, insects and plant material such as algae, grasses, and the seeds and fruits of tundra plants.

Breeding:
Long-tailed ducks are monogamous and breed in May-August. They nest in a bowl-shaped scrape on the ground, made by the female and lined with grasses, leaves and feather down. It is usually placed on dry ground, hidden among rocks or under plant growth. The female lays 5-10 pale grey to olive eggs, which she incubates alone for 24-30 days while the male helps defend the nest. During the incubation period the males leave and begin moulting, and female must finish incubation alone. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and are able to feed themselves, but rely on the females for protection. They start flying at 35-40 days of age. They reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 6,2-6,8 million individuals, but the population has declined dramatically in recent decades, especially in the Baltic, overall possibly declining by 50% over the last 3 decades. The long-tailed duck is threatened by wetland habitat degradation and loss from petroleum pollution, wetland drainage and peat-extraction, while also suffering direct mortality from oil pollution, drowning through entanglement in fishing nets, hunting on migration routes over certain regions of the Arctic, and outbreaks of avian cholera. Changes in the natural cycles of the Arctic, due to climate change, have also possibly reduced the breeding success of this species, as declines in rodent populations force predators to increase pressure on young birds.

White-browed tit-warbler

Leptopoecile sophiae

Photo by Andrey Kovalenko (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
white-browed tit-warbler (en); chapim-de-Sophie (pt); mésange de Sophie (fr); carbonerito de Sophie (es); purpurhähnchen (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae

Range:
This species is found in central China and along the Himalayas mountain range into north-western China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and marginally into northern India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Size:
These birds are 8,5-10 cm long and weigh 6-8 g.

Habitat:
The white-browed tit-warbler is found in mountain temperate forests and scrublands, at altitudes of 2.200-5.000 m.

Diet:
They hunt small insects, including butterflies, gasshoppers and flies, and spiders, while also taking some seeds and berries during autumn and winter.
Breeding:
These birds breed in April-August. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of  a domed structure with an entrance near the top, made of moss, grass stems, hairy seeds animal hair, which is lined with the feathers and hairs, and placed in a scrub, up to 3 m above the ground. The female lays 4-6 whitish eggs with reddish-brown spots which are incubated by both sexes for 16-23 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-21 days.

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