The Birds and animals of Mishana Nature Reserve in Peru

8/8/2019 The Birds and animals of Mishana Nature Reserve in Peru.

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Birds and Animals in the Nanay -Mishana Retreat Area

Report created by: Michelle LeVar . Page 1 of 101

Information Source: Wikipedia (the free encyclopedia) and other free websites

www.shamanism.co.uk

PROVISIONAL LIST OF BIRDS IN

THE NANAY-MISHANA RETREAT AREA

Based on a field expedition by Zoologist Frank Lambert in January 2006


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Mishana Retreat Centre Amazon Rainforest, Peru

We have 57 Hectares (140 acres) of land with a lodge in the Allpahuayo Mishana Nature reserve.

Our lodge is located directly on the river which is part of a 58,070 hectare nature reserve.

Due to a combination of geological factors and diverse soil types, the reserve supports a unique

community of plant and animal species. It is the jewel in the crown for bird-watchers and contains

dozens of species which are unique to this area. The Reserve contains one of the highest

biodiversities known in the Amazon basin. The Lodge is located directly on the Rio Nanay which is a

tributary of the Amazon River.

Our lodge is situated in-between two bends of the river giving an amazing panoramic view. We have

our own boat so trips can be made to some interesting, and extraordinarily beautiful places along

the river. The lodge is a 2 hour river journey from Iquitos by power boat.

Our accommodation is in comfortable traditional cabins or tambos (dieting huts), a leaf roof

supported by poles and with open sides (the most intimate way to sleep in the jungle). The beds

benefit from a comfortable mattress and fly nets when necessary. The tambos are spread out to

assure privacy and minimum disturbance from others. Participants have a choice of using either the

cabins in the 'Casa Grande' annex or tambos for their retreat.

During the day when there are no activities, there will be hammocks to relax in, and you can read,

or wander into the forest, or swim in the river (there is a small sandy beach). Our ceremonies andmeeting will be held in either the Casa Grande with an open platform on stilts directly on the river

with a magnificent view of the rainforest and star filled sky. or our maloca (ceremonial temple), a

large circular tambo made of natural materials and shaped like a womb. We will eat our meals in

the lodge, the traditional meeting place, where food is cooked on a wood fire.

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Contents

TinamousTinamidae 11

White-throated Tinamou Tinamus guttatus 11

Cinereous Tinamou Crypturellus Cinereus 12

HeronsArdeidae 12

White-necked HeronArdea cocoi 13

Striated Heron Butorides striatus 13

American Vultures Cathartidae 14

Black Vulture Coragyps atratus 14

Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura 15

Greater Yellow-headed Vulture Cathartes melambrotus 16

Hawks and EaglesAccipitridae 16

Grey-headed Kite Leptodon cayanensis 17

Crane Hawk Geranospiza caerulescens 17

Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris 18

Falcons Falconidae 18

Black Caracara Daptrius ater 19

Red-throated Caracara Daptrius americanus 19

Yellow-headed Caracara Milvago chimachima 20

Buckleys Forest-falcon Micrastur buckelyi 20

Black Hawk-eagle Spizaetus tyrannus 21

Guans, Curassows & Allies Cracidae 21

Speckled Chachalaca Ortalis guttata 22

Pigeons and Doves Columbidae 22

Pale-vented Pigeon Columba cayennensis 23

Plumbeous Pigeon Columba plumbea 23Ruddy Pigeon Columba subvinacea 24

Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti 24

Gray-fronted Dove Leptotila rufaxilla 25

Parrots Psittacidae 26

Dusky-headed ParakeetAratinga weddellii 27


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Maroon-tailed Parakeet Pyrrhura melanura 27

Canary-winged Parakeet Brotogeris versicolurus 28

Cobalt-winged Parakeet Brotogeris cyanopter 28

Blue-headed Parrot Pionus menstruus 29

Cuckoos, Anis and Hoatzins Cuculidae 29

Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana 30

Black-bellied Cuckoo Piaya melanogaster 30

Greater Ani Crotophaga major 30

Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani 31

Typical Owls Strigidae 31

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium brasilianum 32

Nighthawks and Nightjars Caprimulgidae 33

Lesser Nighthawk Chordeiles acutipennis 33

Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis 34

SwiftsApodidae 34

Grey-rumped Swift Chaetura cinereiventris 35

Short-tailed Swift Chaetura brachyura 35

Fork-tailed Palm-Swift Tachornis squamata 36

Hummingbirds Trochilidae 36

Pale-tailed Barbthroat Threnetes leucurus 37

Black-throated Hermit Phaethornis atrimentalis 37

White-necked Jacobin Florisuga mellivora 37

Fork-tailed Woodnymph Thalurania furcata 38

Sapphire-spangled Emerald Polyerata lacteal 38

Trogons and Quetzals Trogonidae 38

Amazonian White-tailed Trogon Trogon viridis 39

Collared Trogon Trogon collaris 40

Amazonian Violaceous Trogon Trogon violaceus 40

KingfishersAlecedinidae 41

Ringed Kingfisher Ceryle torquata 41

American Pygmy Kingfisher Chloroceryle aenea 42


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Motmots Momotidae 42

Blue-crowned Motmot Momotus momota 43

Puffbirds and Nunbirds Bucconidae 43

Brown-banded Puffbird Notharchus ordii 44

Black-fronted Nunbird Monasa nigrifrons 44

White-fronted Nunbird Monasa morphoeus 45

Swallow-wing Chelidoptera tenebrosa 46

Barbets Capitonidae 46

Gilded Barbet Capito auratus 47

Toucans and Aracaris Ramphastidae 48

Many-banded Aracari Pteroglossus pluricinctus 48

Channel-billed Toucan Ramphastos vitellinus 49

White-throated Toucan Ramphastos tucanus 50

Woodpeckers and Piculets Picidae 51

Yellow-tufted Woodpecker Melanerpes cruentatus 52

Spot-breasted Woodpecker Colaptes punctigula 52

Scaly-breasted Woodpecker Celeus grammicus 53

Chestnut Woodpecker Celeus elegans 53

Cream-colored Woodpecker Celeus flavus 53

Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus 54

Red-necked Woodpecker Campephilus rubricollis 54

Woodcreepers Dendrocolaptidae 55

Northern Barred Woodcreeper Dendrocolaptes sanctithomae 56

Plain-brown Woodcreeper Dendrocincla fuliginosa 56

Olivaceous Woodcreeper Sittasomus griseicapillus 57

Wedge-billed Woodcreeper Glyphorynchus spirurus 57

Long-billed Woodcreeper Nasica longirostris 58

Straight-billed WoodcreeperXiphorhynchus picus 58

Striped WoodcreeperXiphorhynchus obsoletus 58

Elegant WoodcreeperXiphorhynchus elegans 59

Buff-throated WoodcreeperXiphorhynchus guttatus 59


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Purple-throated Fruitcrow Querula purpurata 71

Manakins Pipridae 72

White-bearded Manakin Manacus manacus 72

Wire-tailed Manakin Pipra filicauda 73

Blue-crowned Manakin Pipra coronata 73

Striped Manakin Machaeropterus regulus 73

Orange-crested Manakin Heterocercus aurantiivertex 74

Saffron-crested Tyrant-Manakin Neopelma chrysocephalum 74

Dwarf Tyrant-Manakin Tyranneutes stolzmanni 74

Wing-barred Piprites Piprites chloris 75

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae 75

Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Mionectes oleagineus 76

Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher Terenotriccus erythrurus 76

Double-banded Pygmy-tyrant Lophotriccus vitiosus 77

Spotted Tody-Flycatcher Todirostrum maculatum 77

Golden-winged Tody-flycatcher Poecilotriccus calopterus 77

Rusty-fronted Tody-flycatcher Poecilotriccus latirostris 78

Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet Tyrannulus elatus 78

Olive-faced Flatbill Tolmomyias viridiceps 79

Cinnamon AttilaAttila cinnamomeus 79

Citron-bellied AttilaAttila citriniventris 80

Grayish Mourner Rhytipterna simplex 80

Short-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus ferox 80

Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus 81

Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua 81

Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis 82

Grey-capped Flycatcher Myiozetetes granadensis 83

Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus 83

Varzea Schiffornis Schiffornis major 84

Thrush-like Schiffornis Schiffornis turdinus 84

White-winged Becard Pachyramphus polychopterus 85


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Masked Tityra Tityra semifasciata 85

Vireos and Greenlets Vireonidae 85

Yellow-green Vireo Vireo flavoviridis 86

Wrens Troglodytidae 87

Coraya Wren Thryothorus coraya 87

Buff-breasted Wren Thryothorus leucotis 87

Gnatwrens and Allies Sylvidae 88

Long-billed Gnatwren Microbates Ramphocaenus melanurus 88

Swallows and Martins Hirundinidae 88

White-winged Swallow Tachycineta albiventer 89

White-banded SwallowAtticora fasciata 90

Southern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx ruficollis 90

Tanagers Thraupinae 91

Magpie Tanager Cissopis leveriana 91

White-winged Shrike-Tanager Lanio versicolor 91

Masked Crimson Tanager Ramphocelus nigrogularis 91

Silver-beaked Tanager Ramphocelus carbo 92

Palm Tanager Thraupis palmarum 92

Orange-bellied Euphonia Euphonia xanthogaster 93

Green Honeycreeper Chlorophanes spiza 93

Purple Honeycreeper Cyanerpes caeruleus 94

Grosbeaks and Saltators Cardinalinae 94

Blue-backed Grosbeak Cyanocompsa cyanoides 95

Lesser Seed-Finch Oryzoborus angolensis 95

Buff-throated Saltator Saltator maximus 95

Greyish Saltator Saltator coerulescens 96

American Orioles Icteridae 96

Yellow-rumped Cacique Cacicus cela 97

Giant Cowbird Scaphidura oryzivora 97

Gnatcatcher Polioptila clementsi 98

MAMMALS 99


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Giant Otter Pteronura brasiliensis 99

Tamarins Saguinus 100

Common Squirrel Monkey Saimiri sciureus 100

Titi Monkey Callicebus 101


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TinamousTinamidae

The tinamous are one of the most ancient groups of bird,

members of a South American bird family of about 47 species

in 9 genera. Although they look similar to other ground-

dwelling birds like quail and grouse, they have no close

relatives and are classified as a single family Tinamidae withintheir own order, the Tinamiformes.

Of Gondwanan origin, they are distantly related to the ratites

(order Struthioniformes), that includes the rheas, emu, and

kiwi. Although the fossil record in South America is generally

poor, the known tinamou fossil record goes back 10 million

years.

Together with the ratites, they make up the Paleognathae, or

Old Jaws, as distinct from the vast majority of modern birds

in the Neognathae, or New Jaws.

There are 47 species of tinamou in South America and north

to Mexico, occurring in a wide range of habitats.

They eat a variety of food including insects and berries. The smallest species, the Dwarf Nothura, is about 42 grams (1.4

oz) and 15 cm (6 inches) long. The largest tinamou, the Gray Tinamou, weighs 1.6 kg (3.6 lbs) and measures up to 50

cm (20 inches) long.

Tinamou are rarely seen. Most inhabit the tropical lowlands of South America, typically in dark, dense forest, but some

species range as far north as Mexico and occur in a wide range of habitats.

Although some species are quite common, they are shy and secretive. A small number of species live in more open,

grassy country, but even these are wary. Tinamous lay several eggs which are attractively coloured and have a hard

gloss like porcelain. The young are precocial, and can run almost as soon as they hatch.

White-throated TinamouTinamus guttatusThe White-throated Tinamou is a species of bird native to the

Amazon rainforest of Peru and Brazil. These birds measure

between 32 and 36 cm in length. They inhabit forests as well as

bush. They eat seeds, fruits and invertebrates. Along with other

species of tinamous, they are often caught for food during the

rainy season of the Amazon. Tinamous are easy to catch because

while flying they will often become fatigued or run into dense

foliage, causing them to fall next to the bank of the river. They

lay a clutch of 4 or 5 eggs of an intense blue green color. It is a

relatively abundant species in its habitat and the main threat to

it is deforestation.


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Cinereous Tinamou Crypturellus Cinereus

The Cinereous Tinamou Crypturellus cinereus is a type of ground bird

found in lowland moist and swamp forest up to 700 m altitude. Thisspecies is native to Eastern Colombia, southern Venezuela and the

Guianas south across amazonian Brazil to eastern Peru, northern Bolivia

and Ecuador.

The Cinereous Tinamou is a shy and secretive Tinamou. It is

approximately 30 cm in length. It is recognized by its smoky-grey with

reddish-brown crown and nape. Its dark phase is uniformly in sooty

brown color. This species has a loud distinctive whistle heard mainly at

dawn and dusk.

HeronsArdeidae

The herons are wading birds in the Ardeidae family. Some are

called egrets or bitterns instead of herons. Within the family, all

members of the genera Botaurus and Ixobrychus are referred to

as bitterns, andincluding the Zigzag Heron or Zigzag Bittern

are a monophyletic group within the Ardeidae. However, egrets

are not a biologically distinct group from the herons, and tend to

be named differently because they are mainly white or have

decorative plumes.

The classification of the individual heron/egret species is fraught

with difficulty, and there is still no clear consensus about the

correct placement of many species into either of the two major

genera, Ardea and Egretta. Similarly, the relationship of thegenera in the family is not completely resolved. For example, the

Boat-billed Heron is sometimes classed as a heron, and

sometimes given its own family Cochlearidae, but nowadays it is

usually retained in the Ardeidae.

Although herons resemble birds in some other families, such as

the storks, ibises and spoonbills, they differ from these in flying

with their necks retracted, not outstretched.

They are also one of the bird groups that have powder down.

The members of this family are mostly associated with wetlands, and prey on fish, frogs and other aquatic species.

Some, like the Cattle Egret and Black-headed Heron, also take large insects, and are less tied to watery environments.Some members of this group nest colonially in trees, others, notably the bitterns, use reedbeds


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White-necked HeronArdea cocoi

The White-necked Heron, Ardea pacifica also known as the

Pacific Heron is found throughout New Guinea and

Australia, except for the most arid regions, and is a vagrant

to New Zealand.

It is a large, robust looking heron, with dark slaty wings and

body, and white head and neck. Its habitat mainly

comprises freshwater wetlands and wet grasslands. It feeds

on small terrestrial and aquatic animals. It nests in dead or

living trees associated with freshwater wetlands.

Widespread throughout its large range, the White-necked

Heron is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of

Threatened Species.

Striated Heron Butorides striatus

The Striated Heron (or Mangrove Heron or Little Heron), Butorides

striatus, is a small heron.

Adults have a blue-grey back and wings, white underparts, a black cap

and short yellow legs. Juveniles are browner above and streaked

below.

Their breeding habitat is small wetlands in the Old World tropics from

west Africa to Japan and in South America. They are mostly non-

migratory. They nest in a platform of sticks often in shrubs or trees,

sometimes on the ground, often near water, laying 3-5 eggs.

These birds stand still at the water's edge and wait to ambush prey,

but are easier to see than many small heron species. They mainly eat

small fish, frogs and aquatic insects.

They sometimes use bait, dropping a feather or leaf carefully on the

water surface and picking fish that visit it.


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American Vultures Cathartidae

Vultures are scavenging birds, feeding mostly on the carcasses of

dead animals. Vultures are found in every continent except

Antarctica and Oceania.

A particular characteristic of many vultures is a bald head, devoidof feathers. This is likely because a feathered head would become

spattered with blood and other fluids, and thus be difficult to keep

clean.

A group of vultures is occasionally called a venue in literature.

When circling in the air, a group of vultures is called a kettle. The

German word Geier does not have a precise meaning in

ornithology, and is sometimes used to refer to a vulture in English,

as in some poetry.

Black Vulture Coragyps atratus

A common New World vulture, the American Black Vulture, or

Black Vulture, Coragyps atratus, tends to have a more southerly

distribution than its compatriot, the Turkey Vulture, which breeds

well into Canada.

These are very large birds of prey at 65cm length and with a 1.5m

wingspan. Their plumage is mainly glossy black; they have broad

wings with white tips, a short tail and a featherless greyish head.

The female lays 2 or 3 eggs on the ground in a wooded area or in a

hollow log or other cavity. Both parents incubate and feed the

young, regurgitating food at the nest site.

They eat mainly carrion, but also eggs and decomposing plant

material. They may scavenge at garbage dumps and sometimes kill

young animals. These birds on occasion forage in groups. They

soar high when searching for food, holding their wings flat when

gliding. Though not having any natural predators, they have

become scarce in some areas due to lack of suitable nesting

habitat


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Turkey VultureCathartes aura

The Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura, is the most

common American vulture. It is an extremely graceful

bird in flight. It seldom needs to flap its long wings once

airborne, but soars high overhead looking forcarcasses.

Despite the similar name and appearance, this species

is unrelated to the Old World vultures in the family

Accipitridae, which includes eagles, hawks, kites and

harriers. The American species is a New World vulture

in the family Cathartidae.

Soaring adult holds its wings up in characteristic V-

shape.

These large birds of prey are mostly brownish black,

but the flight feathers are gray, creating a contrasting

pattern. The head is small in proportion to the bodyand has no feathers on it; adults' heads are red and

immatures' are black. The birds have a wing span of

about 2 metres.

While soaring, they hold their wings in a V-shape and often tip "drunkenly" from side to side, sometimes causing the

gray flight feathers to look silvery as they catch the light. The flight style, small-headed and narrow-winged silhouette,

and underwing pattern make this bird easy to identify at great distances.

These birds soar over open areas, watching for dead animals or other scavengers at work. Unlike most other birds, they

also rely on smell to help locate their food. They also eat some vegetation.

The nesting site is in a protected location: on a cliff, inside a hollow tree or in a thicket. There is little or no construction

of a nest. Females lay two eggs, cream-colored with brown spots. Both parents incubate, and the young hatch at around

40 days. The adults regurgitate food for them and care for them for 10 to 11 weeks.

Often, small to large groups of these birds spend the night at communal roosts. Favoured locations may be reused for

many years.

This bird got its common name because the adult's bald red head was thought to resemble that of a male Wild Turkey.

This bird is said to be the most damaging bird to aircraft in birdstrikes as rated by the Smithsonian Institution's Feather

Identification Laboratory.


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Greater Yellow-headed VultureCathartes melambrotus

The Greater Yellow-headed Vulture, Cathartes melambrotus, also

known as the Forest Vulture, is a species of bird in the New World

Vulture family Cathartidae. It was considered to be the same species as

the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture until they were split in 1964. It isfound in southern Central America and South America in subtropical or

tropical moist lowland forests. It is a large bird, with a wingspan of 166-

178 centimeters (65-70 inches). The body plumage is black, and the

head and neck, which are featherless, range in color from deep yellow

to pale orange. It lacks a syrinx, and its vocalizations are therefore

limited to grunts or low hisses.

The Greater Yellow-headed Vulture feeds on carrion and locates

carcasses by sight and by smell, an ability which is rare in birds. It is

dependent on larger vultures, such as the King Vulture, to open the

hides of larger animal carcasses, as its bill is not strong enough to do

this.

Like other New World Vultures, the Greater Yellow-headed Vulture utilizes thermals to stay aloft with minimal effort. It

lays its eggs on flat surfaces, such as the floors of caves, or in the hollows of stumps. It feeds its young by regurgitation.

Hawks and EaglesAccipitridae

Eagles are large birds of prey which inhabit mainly the Old

World, with only two species (the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle)

found in North America north of Mexico, a few in Middle and

South America, two (the White-bellied Sea Eagle and Wedge-

tailed Eagle) in Australia, and the Philippine Eagle in the

Philippines. They are members of the bird order Falconiformes

(or Accipitriformes, according to alternative classification

schemes), family Accipitridae, and belong to several generawhich are not necessarily closely related to each other in any

sort of way.

Eagles are differentiated from other broad-winged birds of prey

mainly by their larger size, more powerful build, and heavier

head and bill.

Even the smallest eagles, like the Booted Eagle (which is

comparable in size to a Common Buzzard or Red-tailed Hawk),

have relatively longer and more evenly broad wings, and more

direct, faster flight.

Most eagles are larger than any other raptors apart from the vultures.

Like all birds of prey, eagles have very large powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, andpowerful talons. They also have extremely keen eyesight to enable them to spot potential prey from a very long

distance. This keen eyesight is primarily contributed by their extremely large pupils which cause minimal diffraction

(scattering) of the incoming light.

In Britain before 1678, Eagle referred specifically to the Golden Eagle, the other native species, the White-tailed Eagle,

being known as the Erne. The modern name "Golden Eagle" for Aquila chrysaetos was introduced by the naturalist

John Ray.

Eagles build their nests, which are sometimes called eyries (mostly in Australia) in tall trees or on high cliffs. Many


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species lay two eggs, but the older, larger chick frequently kills its younger sibling once it has hatched.

Eagles are sometimes used in falconry. They appear prominently in myth and literature. In the Old World, such

references are commonly to the Golden Eagle (or possibly closely related species found in warm climates).

Grey-headed KiteLeptodon cayanensis

The Gray-headed Kite Leptodon cayanensis is a raptor

found in open woodland and swamp forests. It shares the

genus Leptodon with the extremely rare White-collared

Kite. It breeds from eastern Mexico and Trinidad south to

Peru, Bolivia and northern Argentina.

The nest is of sticks lined with grass and built high in a

tree. The clutch is a one or two white eggs, purplish at one

end and spotted brown.

The Gray-headed Kite is 46-53 cm in length and weighs

410-605 g. The adult has a grey head, black upperparts,white underparts, and a black tail with two or three white

bars.

The bill is blue and the legs grey. The flight is a deliberateflap-flap-glide . Immature birds have two colour morphs; the

light phase is similar to the adult, but has a white head and neck, with a black crown and eyestripe, black bill and

yellow legs. The dark phase has a blackish head, neck and upperparts, and dark-streaked buff underparts.

The Gray-headed Kite feeds mainly on reptiles, but also takes frogs and large insects. It usually sits on an open high

perch from which it swoops on its prey. The call is a mewling keow.

Crane HawkGeranospiza caerulescens

The crane hawk (Geranospiza caerulescens) is an uncommon raptor species

found from Mexico to Argentina. It seems that its long legs are often used to

reach into crevices or hollow logs to seize prey. Adult crane hawks are dark

gray.


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Roadside HawkButeo magnirostris

A common bird throughout its range, the Roadside Hawk can be

found in Mexico, Brazil, and the Northern parts of Argentina. With

the possible exception of dense forests, the Roadside Hawk is well

adapted to most ecosystems of its range.

Fairly small compared to other members of the Buteo genus, the

Roadside Hawk can be identified by its lengthy tail and

disproportionately short wings. The breast and underparts of the

bird are barred brown and white and the tail has four or five grey

bars. The eyes of the Roadside Hawk are usually yellow in color and

rufous patches on the bird's wings can be observed while the hawk is

in flight. The Roadside Hawk's diet consists mainly of small

mammals, insects, and reptiles.

Falcons Falconidae

A Falcon is any of several species of raptors in

the genus Falco. The word comes from Latin

falco, related to Latin falx ("sickle") because of

the shape of these birds' wings.


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Black Caracara Daptrius ater

Easy to tell from the Red-throated Caracara by its lack of a white belly

although it does have white on the rump and at the base of the tail.

They are omnivorous eating carrion, fish, insects, frogs, fruit, etc... It is said

that they like to eat ticks off Tapirs and that, on hearing the cries of the

Black Caracara, a Tapir will let out a squeal to attract the Caracara and will

then lie belly-up to let the Caracara eat its ticks.

They are normally found in the Amazon forest near rivers.

Red-throated CaracaraDaptrius americanus

It can look a bit like a guan from a distance but the Red-

throated Caracara is quite distinctive close up with its red bareskin on the throat and its white belly. It is much clumsier than

its close relations, the falcons.

They usually move around in small groups and are capable of

making an ear-shattering noise when disturbed which leads to

them being used by other forest species as a sentinel.

A major item of their diet is eggs and larvae of wasps and bees.

However, it never seems to get stung despite its bare throat.


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Yellow-headed CaracaraMilvago chimachima

The Yellow-headed Caracara, Milvago chimachima, is a bird of prey in

the family Falconidae. Unlike the Falco falcons in the same family, thecaracaras are not fast-flying aerial hunters, but are rather sluggish and

often scavengers.

The Yellow-headed Caracara is a resident breeding bird from Panama,

Trinidad and Tobago south through South America to northern

Argentina.

This is a bird of savannah, swamps and forest edges, which lays one or

two brown-marked buff eggs in a stick nest in a tree.

The Yellow-headed Caracara is 41-46 cm long and weighs 325g. It is

broad-winged and long-tailed. The adult has a buff head, with a black

streak behind the eye, and buff underparts. The upperparts are brownwith distinctive pale patches on the flight feathers of the wings, and

the tail is barred cream and brown.

The sexes are similar, but immature birds are mottled with brown below. The voice of this species is a characteristic

screamed schreee.

The Yellow-headed Caracara is omnivorous, and will eat reptiles, amphibians and other small animals as well as carrion.

It will also take ticks from cattle, and is locally called tickbird.

The Yellow-headed Caracara has benefited from forest clearing for cattle ranching. Its status in Trinidad has changed

from rare to fairly common, and it was first seen on Tobago in 1987.

Buckleys Forest-falconMicrastur buckelyi

The Buckley's Forest-falcon, Carnifex De Buckley, Carnifex De Traylor, Gaviln De Traylor, or Halcn-monts De Buckley

(Micrastur buckleyi) is a species of bird of prey in the Falconidae family. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and

Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Forest falcons are members of the genus Micrastur, part of the family Falconidae. They are endemic to the Americas,

and are found in the tropical and subtropical forests of Mexico, Guatemala, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.

Although members of the falcon family, in many respects forest falcons resemble hawks or harriers more than other

falcons; indeed, they are often called harrier-hawks, a term which is descriptively apt but taxonomically inaccurate.

Forest falcons, like many Accipiters but unlike other falcons, are adapted for agility in thick forest rather than outright

speed in clear air. They have short wings, long tails, and extraordinarily acute hearing.

Diet is a mixture of birds, mammals and reptiles. Hunting is often performed in Goshawk fashion: the bird takes up a

perch in an inconspicuous position and waits for a prey species to pass, then strikes with a short, rapid pursuit. Forest-

falcons are inventive, flexible hunters, and are also capable of catching terrestrial prey on foot.

In 2002, a new species was described, found in southeastern Amazonia and the rain forests of Brazil. It has been

named Micrastur mentoni, the Cryptic Forest Falcon.


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Speckled ChachalacaOrtalis guttata

The Speckled Chachalaca (Ortalis guttata) is a

species of bird in the Cracidae family. It is found

in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its

natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry

forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland

forests, and heavily degraded former forest.

Pigeons and DovesColumbidae

Pigeons and Doves constitute the family

Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which

include some 300 species of near passerine birds. In

general parlance the terms "dove" and "pigeon" areused somewhat interchangeably. In ornithological

practice, there is a tendency for "dove" to be used

for smaller species and "pigeon" for larger ones, but

this is in no way consistently applied, and

historically the common names for these birds

involve a great deal of variation between the term

"dove" and "pigeon." This family occurs worldwide,

but the greatest variety is in the Indomalaya and

Australasia ecozones. The young doves and pigeons

are called "squabs."

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. The species

commonly referred to just as the "pigeon" is the feral Rock Pigeon, common in many cities.

Their usually flimsy nests are made of sticks, and the two white eggs are incubated by both sexes. Doves feed on seeds,

fruit and plants. Unlike most other birds (but see flamingo), the doves and pigeons produce "crop milk," which is

secreted by a sloughing of fluid-filled cells from the lining of the crop. Both sexes produce this highly nutritious

substance to feed to the young.


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Pale-vented PigeonColumba cayennensis

The Pale-vented Pigeon, Patagioenas cayennensis (see Johnson et al.

2001), is a large New World tropical dove. It is a resident breeder

from southern Mexico south to Bolivia and northern Argentina and on

Tobago and Trinidad, although it is very localised on the latter island.

It belongs to a clade of Patagioenas which generally lack iridescent

display plumage, although this species has some coppery gloss on the

nape (Johnson et al. 2001).

The Pale-vented Pigeon is common at forest edges, riverbanks, and

other partially open areas with some trees. It builds a small twig nest

in a small tree, and normally lays one white egg.

Its flight is high, fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are

characteristic of pigeons in general. It also has a breeding display with a semi-circular glide down to its original perch.

The call is a row of soft kuk kuk croo-ooos; the initial short kuk is characteristic for this group of Patagioenas and

altogether, this species' song is intermediate between that of its close relatives the Plain and Red-billed Pigeons

(Mahler & Tubaro 2001).

The Pale-vented Pigeon is 30-32cm long and weighs normally 230-250 g. It somewhat resembles a Scaled Pigeon, which

has a similar display flight, but of course lacks that species scaly appearance. These two large species are the only

pigeons which are often seen flying in the open away from forests.

Adult males have a mainly dull purple head, breast and upperpart plumage, with copper glossing on the nape and a

whitish throat. The lower back and tail are dark grey and the lower underparts are pale grey. The bill is black and the

legs, iris and eyering are red. The female is similar, but duller than the male, and immatures are greyish-brown, verydull, and mainly greyish brown.

The southern race P. c. andersoni has white lower underparts, rather than the pale grey of nominate P. c. cayennensis.

Pale-vented Pigeon feed mainly on small fruits, berries and seed. This is a fairly solitary bird, but may form small flocks

at drinking areas.

Plumbeous Pigeon Columba plumbea

The Plumbeous Pigeon (Patagioenas plumbea) is a species of

bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil,

Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama,

Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural

habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forestsand subtropical or tropical moist montanes.


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Ruddy PigeonColumba subvinaceaThe Ruddy Pigeon, Patagioenas subvinacea (see Johnson et al. 2001),

is a largish pigeon which breeds from Costa Rica south to western

Ecuador, Bolivia and central Brazil. It belongs to a clade of small and

rather plain species of Patagioenas with characteristic calls (Johnson

et al. 2001) that constitute the subgenus Oenoenas (Mahler &

Tubaro 2001).

It is found in highland forest canopy and semi-open woodland from

1500 m altitude to the timberline. It builds a rudimentary platform

nest out of twigs 5 m high in a small tree, and lays one white egg.

The Ruddy Pigeon is 28 cm long and weighs 170 g. It is unpatterned

and mainly wine-purple in colour, becoming more rufous on the

back.

The tail and primary flight feathers are dark brown, the bill is black, and the legs and eyes are purple-red. The female is

slightly duller and browner than the male, and the juvenile bird has a greyish brown head, neck and breast, with

cinnamon or rufous scaling on the head and upperparts.

Ruddy Pigeon has a loud and fairly high-pitched coo, ko'COO coo call, with considerable pauses between calls just as in

its relatives (Mahler & Tubaro 2001). It is normally seen in pairs as it forages in the tree tops for mistletoe, fruits and

berries, but may occasionally be seen on tracks and roadside seeking grit.

This species is replaced at lower altitudes by its close relative, the very similar Short-billed Pigeon, Patagioenas

nigrirostris. The two species are best separated by call, which is faster and less complex in this species (Mahler &

Tubaro 2001).

Ruddy Ground-DoveColumbina talpacoti

The Ruddy Ground Dove, (Columbina talpacoti), is a small New

World tropical dove. It is a resident breeder from Mexico south to

Peru, Brazil and Paraguay, and on Trinidad and Tobago. Individual

birds can sometimes be seen in southwestern USA, from southern

Texas to southernmost California, primarily during the winter

months.

The Ruddy Ground Dove is very common in scrub and other open

country, including cultivation.

It builds a solid cup-shaped stick nest in a tree and lays two white

eggs. Incubation is 1213 days with another 1214 days to

fledging. There may be a second or third brood.

Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of

pigeons in general.

Ruddy Ground Doves are small short-tailed pigeons, 17cm long with a weight normally about 47g. Adult males have a

pale grey head and neck, and rich rufous upperparts, black-spotted on the wing coverts. The underparts are paler

brown, the tail is edged black, and the underwings are cinnamon and black. The female is grey-brown rather than

rufous, and has less contrast between head and body than the male.


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The subspecies C. t. rufipennis of Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago shows much more

cinnamon on the underwing than the nominate C. t. talpacoti.

Ruddy Ground Doves feed mainly on seeds. The call is a soft cooing cur-WOO.

This species can be quite approachable. Males frequently threaten each other, and brief fights may ensue.

Blue Ground-Dove Claravis pretiosa

The Blue Ground Dove (Claravis pretiosa) is a small New World tropical

dove. It is a resident breeder from southeastern Mexico to northwestern

Peru and northern Argentina, and on Trinidad.

The Blue Ground Dove is common in open woodland, forest edges,

clearings and roadsides, especially in more humid areas. It is found from

sea level to about 1200 m altitude. It builds a flimsy dish nest of twigs 1-

11 m high in a tree and lays two white eggs.

Blue Ground Doves are small pigeons, 20 cm long with a weight of 65-72

g.

Adult males have blue-grey upperparts and paler grey underparts, becoming grey-white on the face. The flight feathers

and outer tail feathers are blackish, and the wings are boldly marked with black. The iris is red or yellow, the bare

eyering is green, and the legs are flesh-pink. The female has a grey-brown head neck and breast, becoming pale blue-

grey on the underwings and belly. The back is ruddy brown, contrasting with the chestnut rump and tail. Young birds

resemble the female, but have ruddy scaling on the back.

The male is unlikely to be confused with other species, but the female resembles the smaller, shorter-tailed Columbina

ground doves. The contrasting rump and woodland habitat are good identification points, and a blue grey and a brown

bird flying through the trees together is bound to be this species.

Blue Ground Doves occur singly or in pairs. They feed mainly on the ground on seeds and small insects, and take grit.

The males song, given from the treetops, is a loud boop.

Gray-fronted DoveLeptotila rufaxilla

The Grey-fronted Dove, (Leptotila rufaxilla) is a large New World tropical

dove. It is a resident breeder in South America from Colombia, Venezuela and

the Guyanas south to northeast Argentina and Uruguay. Several subspecies

exists, among them L. r. hellmayrii from Trinidad and the Paria Peninsula in

Venezuela.

The Grey-headed Dove, Leptotila plumbeiceps, of Central America and the

Grenada Dove, L. wellsi, of Grenada were formerly considered conspecific

with Grey-fronted Dove.

The Grey-fronted Dove inhabits humid forest and woodland. It builds a large

stick nest in a bush or on a stump and lays two white eggs.

The Grey-fronted Dove is very similar to the closely related White-tipped Dove, Leptotila verreauxi, which, in the area

of overlap, prefers more open, drier, woodland.

It has an approx. length of 28 cm (11 in) and a weight of 155 g (5 oz). Adult have a blue-grey crown, a whitish

forehead and a grey neck showing purple iridescence. They have a whitish throat and the eye-ring is red. The

upperparts and wings are grey-brown, and the underparts are whitish shading to pinkish-buff on the chest. The

underwing coverts are rufous. The white tip to the tail is narrower than in the White-tipped Dove. The bill is black, the

legs red and the iris is yellow. L. r. hellmayrii has a paler forehead and darker, more rufous, breast.

It is best separted from the White-tipped Dove by the buffier lower face and the more contrasting, bluish-grey crown.


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Another feature is the red (not blue) eye-ring of the Grey-fronted Dove, but this is not reliable in all parts of Brazil,

Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay, where it typically is red in both.

The Grey-fronted Dove is usually seen singly or in pairs, and is rather wary. Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular

beats and clattering of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general.

The food of this species is mainly seeds obtained by foraging on the ground, but it will also take insects. The call is adeep hollow ooo-wooooo-ou.

Parrots Psittacidae

Parrots are birds of the roughly 350 species in the order Psittaciformes,

found in most warm and tropical regions. Also known as psittacines,

they are usually grouped into two families: the Psittacidae (true parrots)

and the Cacatuidae (cockatoos). Characteristic features of parrots

include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed

zygodactyl feet. Most parrots are predominantly green, with other

bright colors, and some species are multi-colored. Cockatoo speciesrange from mostly white to mostly black, and have a mobile crest of

feathers on the top of their heads. Most parrots are monomorphic or

minimally sexually dimorphic.

Parrots, along with crows, jays and magpies, are some of the most

intelligent birds, and their ability to imitate human voices enhances

their popularity as pets. Trapping of wild parrots for the pet trade, as

well as other hunting, habitat loss and competition from invasive

species, have diminished wild populations, and more parrots are

threatened with extinction than any other group of birds.

The most important components of most parrots' diets are seeds, nuts, fruit, buds and other plant material, and a few

species also eat insects and small animals, and the lories and lorikeets are specialised to feed on nectar from flowers,and soft fruits. Almost all parrots nest in tree holes (or nestboxes in captivity), and lay white eggs from which emerge

altricial (helpless) young.

Extant species range in size from the Buff-faced Pygmy-parrot, under 10 g (0.35 oz.) and 8 cm (3.2 inches), to the

Hyacinth Macaw, at 1 meter (3.3 feet) in length, and the Kakapo, at 4 kg (8.8 lbs). Some atypical parrots include the

dimorphic Eclectus (the male is green and the female is red), the flightless lek breeding Kakapo. The Kaka, Kea and the

Long-billed Corella have especially curved upper mandibles.


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Dusky-headed ParakeetAratinga weddellii

The Dusky-headed Parakeet or Dusky-headed Conure (Aratinga weddellii) is a

small bird in the parrot family. It is generally green in color with a gray-brown

head and blue-edged black remiges. The adult is about 28 centimeters (11

inches) in length and weighs about 100 grams.

The bird is found in the wild along the Amazon River and its tributaries in

Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. It inhabits rainforest, marshes, forest

remnants and regrowth in cleared areas, and sometimes coffee plantations. It is

a common avian species across its range.

The Dusky-headed Parakeet is social, and is usually found in pairs or small

groups.

When food is plentiful it forms flocks of up to 100 members. It is a moderately

noisy parakeet, feeding quietly and making sounds mostly during flight. Its call

is similar to that of the White-eyed Conure (Aratinga leucophthalmus).

The bird eats fruit, seeds, and flowers, and will search decaying wood for insect larvae. It also ingests mineral-rich soil

as a supplement. The birds pair to raise offspring together, nesting in woodpecker holes in trees or arboreal termitenests.

The Dusky-headed Parakeet can be kept in captivity, most successfully in an aviary. It appreciates water for routine

bathing and likes a variety of fruit and vegetables. It is easy to breed if provided with a nest box, and will lay up to three

clutches per year.

Maroon-tailed ParakeetPyrrhura melanura

The Maroon-tailed Parakeet (Pyrrhura melanura) is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is found in Brazil,

Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and

subtropical or tropical moist montanes.


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Canary-winged ParakeetBrotogeris versicolurus

The Canary-winged Parakeet (Brotogeris versicolurus) is also

known as the White-winged Parakeet. The bird is native to the

Amazon River basin from southeast Colombia to the Rivers

mouth in Brazil. Caged birds have been released in some areas

and the birds have established self sustaining populations in Lima,

Peru, the Los Angeles, San Francisco, California and Miami,

Florida areas of the United States, and in Puerto Rico. Although

feral birds are showing some recent declines as nesters in the

United States, they seem to be doing well in their native habitat.

The bird is 22 cm in length, and is mostly green in color. It has a

trailing yellow edge on its folded wings. Its most distinguished

characteristic is the white wing patches most noticed when the

bird is in flight. It is closely related to the Yellow-chevroned

Parakeet. In fact, it was considered conspecific until 1997.

The bird feeds mostly on seeds and fruit in its native habitat, and

feral populations have adapted to take in blossoms and nectar.Feral birds will also come to bird feeders. Wild birds primarily use

disturbed forest and forest clearings around settlements. It rarely

uses deep tropical forest.

Canary-winged Parakeets usually find holes in trees to nest in.

They will also form nesting tunnels in dead palm fronds. It lays 4-

5 eggs. After raising its young, all birds will form rather large

communal roosts until the next breeding season.

Cobalt-winged ParakeetBrotogeris cyanopter

The Cobalt-winged Parakeet (Brotogeris cyanoptera) is a

species of bird in the Psittacidae family, the true parrots. It is

found in the eastern Andean foothills, the far western

Amazonian regions in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru,

and Bolivia; in Brazil, the Amazon Basin states of Amazonas,

Acre, and Rondonia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or

tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former

forest.

The range of the Cobalt-winged Parakeet is in the extreme

western Amazon Basin in Brazil's states's of Amazonas, Acre,

and Rondnia, part of the North Region; also from north tosouth, southernmost Venezuela, eastern Colombia-Ecuador-

Peru, and northern and central Bolivia, and in Bolivia within

the tributary rivers to the Madeira River flowing northeast to

the Amazon River. One small disjunct, localized population

occurs in Bolivia's northeast border region near the Guapore

River headwaters.


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Blue-headed Parrot Pionus menstruus

The Blue-headed Parrot also known as The Blue-headed

Pionus, Pionus menstruus, is a medium large parrot. It is a

resident breeding bird in tropical Central and South

America, from Costa Rica and Trinidad south to Bolivia and

Brazil.

Its habitat is forest and semi-open country, including

cultivated areas. The Blue-headed Parrot lays three to four

white eggs in a tree cavity.

The Blue-headed Parrot is about 27 cm long and weighs 245

g. It is mainly green with a blue head, neck and upper

breast, red undertail, and some yellow on the wing coverts.

Sexes are alike, but immatures have less blue on the head,

as well as red or pinkish feathers around the ceres.

They molt into their adult plumage at about 8 months of age, but it can take up to two years for the full blue hood to

emerge.Blue-headed Parrots are noisy birds and make light, high-pitched squeaking sweenkcalls. They eat fruit and seeds, and

sometimes grain. They roost communally in palm and other trees, and large numbers can be seen at the roost sites at

dawn and dusk.

Blue Headed Pionus Parrots are increasingly popular as pets. Compared to other parrot species (Amazons for example)

they are very quiet. They are affectionate, but not known for their talking ability.

Some suggest that the Blue-headed Parrot was the inspiration for Monty Python's "Dead Parrot Sketch."

Cuckoos, Anis and Hoatzins Cuculidae

The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. Theorder Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the

turacos (family Musophagidae, sometimes treated as a separate

order, Musophagiformes). Some zoologists have also included the

unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, though it is now usually placed

in an order of its own, Opisthocomiformes. The taxonomy of this

enigmatic species, however, remains in some dispute.

The cuckoo family, in addition to those species named as such, also

includes the roadrunners, the coucals, and the anis. The latter two

are often separated as distinct families Centropodidae and

Crotophagidae, respectively.


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Squirrel CuckooPiaya cayana

The Squirrel Cuckoo, Piaya cayana, is a near-passerine bird. This

cuckoo is a resident breeding bird from northwestern Mexico to

northern Argentina and Uruguay, and on Trinidad.

The Squirrel Cuckoo is found in woodland canopy and edges,second growth, hedges and semi-open habitats from sea level to

as high as 2500 m altitude, although it is uncommon above 1200

m. The nest is a cup of leaves on a twig foundation, hidden in

dense vegetation 1-12 m high in a tree. The female lays two white

eggs. This large species is 43-46 cm long and weighs 95-105 g.

The adult has mainly chestnut upperparts and head, becoming paler on the throat. The lower breast is grey and the

belly is blackish. The tail is boldly banded in black and white. The bill and bare eyering are yellow and the iris is red.

Immature birds have a grey bill and eyering, brown iris, and less white in the tail.

There are a number of subspecies with minor plumage variations. For example, P. c. mehleri, a South American form,

has a brown-and-white banded tail.

This species English name derives from its habit of running along branches and leaping from branch to branch like a

squirrel. It normally flies only short d istances, mainly gliding with an occasional flap.

The Squirrel Cuckoo makes explosive kip! and kip! weeuu calls, and the song is a whistled wheep wheep wheep wheep.

It feeds on large insects such as cicadas, wasps and caterpillars (including those with stinging hairs or spines), and

occasionally spiders and small lizards. Its static prey is typically taken off the foliage with a quick lunge, but wasps may

be picked out of the air.

Black-bellied CuckooPiaya melanogaster

The Black-bellied Cuckoo (Piaya melanogaster) is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. It is found in Bolivia,

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical ortropical moist lowland forests.

Greater AniCrotophaga major

The Greater Ani, Crotophaga major, is a large near-

passerine bird in the cuckoo family. It is a breeding species

from Panama and Trinidad through tropical South America

to northern Argentina.

This ani is found in mangrove swamps, semi-open

woodland near water, and the edges of forests. It is a

seasonal smigrant in at least some parts of its range. Thenest, built communally by several pairs, is a deep cup lined

with leaves and placed usually 2-5 m high in a tree. A

number of females lay their chalky deep blue eggs in the

nest and then share incubation and feeding. Nests have

been found containing 3-10 eggs.

The Greater Ani is about 48 cm long and weighs 170g.

The adult is mainly blue-glossed black, with a long tail, massive ridged black bill, and a white iris. Immature birds have a


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dark iris.

This is a very gregarious species, always found in noisy groups. The calls include croaking and turkey-like gobbling kro-

koro. The Greater Ani feeds on large insect and even lizards and frogs.

Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga aniThe Smooth-billed Ani, Crotophaga ani, is a large near-passerine bird in

the cuckoo family. It is a resident breeding species from southern Florida,

the West Indies, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, south to western

Ecuador, Brazil and northern Argentina.

This ani is found in open and semi-open country and cultivation. The

nest, built communally by several pairs, is a deep cup lined with leaves

and placed usually 2-6 m high in a tree. A number of females lay their

chalky blue eggs in the nest and then share incubation and feeding.

Each female is capable of laying up to seven eggs, and nests have been

found containing up to 29 eggs, but it is rare for more than ten to hatch.

Incubation is 13-15 days, with another 10 days to fledging. Up to threebroods may be raised in a season, with the young of earlier broods

helping to feed more recent chicks.

The Smooth-billed Ani is about 33 cm long and weighs 95 g. The adult is mainly flat black, with a long tail, deep ridged

black bill and a brown iris.The flight is weak and wobbly, but this bird runs well, and usually feeds on the ground.

This is a very gregarious species, always found in noisy groups. The calls include a whining ooo-leeek. The Greater Ani

feeds on termites, large insects and even lizards and frogs; they will occasionally remove ticks and other parasites from

grazing animals.

This common and conspicuous species has greatly benefited from deforestation.

This species called "El pijul" in the Venzuelan folklore. It is mentioned in the popular Venezuelan song "Son Jarocho".

Typical OwlsStrigidae

Typical owls (family Strigidae) are one of the two generally accepted

families of owls, the other being the barn owls (Tytonidae). The Sibley-

Ahlquist taxonomy unites the Caprimulgiformes with the owl order;

here, the typical owls are a subfamily Striginae. This is unsupported by

more recent research but the relationships of the owls in general are

still unresolved.

The nearly 200 species are assigned to a number of genera.


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Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium brasilianum

The Ferruginous Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) is a small owl that

breeds in south-central Arizona in the USA, south through to Mexico, Central

America and South America to Bolivia and Argentina. Trinidad, as well as

other localities, have endemic subspecies of the owl. The Trinidad version is

more rufous above than the continental forms. Recent genetics work has

found substantial differences in Ferruginous Pygmy Owls from different

regions.

This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls,

Strigidae, the family that contains most species of owl. The other grouping is

the barn owls, Tytonidae.

In the southern portion of its range, the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl is a

somewhat common bird in open woodland. It is a cavity nesting bird (tree and

columnar cactus cavities), laying 3-5 white eggs. Incubation is 28 days, with

27-30 days to fledging.

The Ferruginous Pygmy Owl is small (15cm) and stocky with

disproportionately large talons.

The upperparts are brown, heavily spotted and/or streaked with white on the crown and wing coverts. The underparts

are white, streaked with brown. There are prominent white supercilia above the facial disc. There are two eyespots on

the nape. The tail is barred brown and black. Sexes are similar with females slightly larger and more reddish, especially

on the brown in the tail. The flight is low to the ground and rapid with long swoops.

This species is crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk), and often hunts by day. It can be readily located by the small

birds that mob it while it is perched in a tree (up to 40 birds of 11 species have been recorded mobbing one owl). It

hunts a variety of birds, lizards, mammals, and insects. The call is a whistled hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo, usually in E flat. It is

easily imitated, and is used by birdwatchers to attract small birds intent on mobbing and other pygmy owls.

This species was an endangered species in its range in the south-central portion of Arizona in the USA, where its range

extended over the border from Sonora, Mexico. It was delisted in 2006.


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Nighthawks and Nightjars Caprimulgidae

Nighthawks are birds of the nightjar family in the New World subfamily

Chordeilinae.

They are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs and very

short bills that usually nest on the ground and catch flying insects. The LeastNighthawk, at 16 cm (6.3 inches) and 23 grams, is the smallest of all

Caprimulgiformes. Nightjars are sometimes referred to as goatsuckers from

the mistaken belief that they suck milk from goats (the Latin for goatsucker is

Caprimulgus).

Nighthawks have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings.

Their soft plumage is crypically coloured to resemble bark or leaves. Some

species, unusual for birds, perch along a branch, rather than across it. This

helps to conceal them during the day. They lay two patterned eggs directly

onto bare ground.

They are mostly active in the late evening and early morning or at night, and

feed predominantly on moths and other large flying insects. Nighthawks are

similar in most respects to the nightjars of the Old World, but have shorterbills and less soft plumage. Nighthawks are less strictly nocturnal than many

Old World nightjars, and may be seen hunting when there is still light in the

sky.

Lesser Nighthawk Chordeiles acutipennis

The Lesser Nighthawk, Chordeiles acutipennis, is a nightjar.

The adults are dark with brown, grey and white patterning on the

upperparts and breast; the long upperwings are black and show a white bar

in flight. The tail is dark with white barring; the underparts are buffy with

fine black horizontal streaking. The adult male has a white throat; thefemale has a light brown throat. This bird looks similar to the Common

Nighthawk, but is slightly smaller, has a slightly less deeply forked tail, and

is more buffy in coloration. The calls are also completely different. The

Lesser Nighthawk has a rapid, low whistled melodious trill, lasting several

seconds. It is usually heard only near breeding areas.

Their breeding habitat is open country from southwest United States

through Central America to tropical South America. They usually nest on

bare ground, sometimes in raised locations including stumps and boulders

or flat house roofs The two eggs are laid directly on bare ground--there is

no nest.

Incubation is performed largely by the female and lasts for about 20 days. Young fledge at about 20 days of age. Adults

flushed from the nest may try to distract the intruder or defend the nest site by aerial attack. Young birds sometimes

perform a defense display by opening up their mouths and spreading their wings, looking to appear threatening and

looking larger than they actually are before they run off.

These birds are partial migrants. The Lesser Nighthawk retreats from the United States and northern Mexico during the

winter months. Occasionally single birds may be found overwintering. The nighthawk is also occasionally found as a

vagrant to the US Gulf Coast states to Florida.

They catch flying insects on the wing, mainly foraging near dawn and dusk (crepuscular), sometimes at night with a full


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moon or near street l ighting.

Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis

The Pauraque, Nyctidromus albicollis, is a nightjar. It breeds in thewarmer parts of the New World from southern Texas to northern

Argentina. It is the only bird in the genus Nyctidromus.

It is found in woodland habitats, preferably forest, but also scrub and

cultivation. No nest is made; the two elongated and elliptical pinkish

eggs are placed upon the bare ground or leaf litter. Most populations

are resident, although the U.S. breeders (N. a. merrilli) may winter in

eastern Mexico.

This medium-sized (2228cm long) nightjar has two colour morphs,

the plumage being variegated greyish-brown or rufous brown.

It is long-tailed and has broad rounded wings. The buff eyering and facial stripe contrast with the reddish sides of the

face.The adult male Pauraque has a white band near the wing tips, and the outer tail feathers are mainly white. The

female's wing band is narrower and the white in the outer tail is more restricted. There are seven races of Pauraque,

differing in size and greyness.

The Pauraque is nocturnal, like other nightjars, and starts to fly at dusk. Like its relatives, it feeds on insects caught in

flight, usually by flycatching from a low perch, but also by foraging over open ground. This species has long legs with

bare tarsi, and is more terrestrial than most nightjars. If disturbed, it will sometimes run rather than fly, and frequently

rests on roads and tracks.

The male Pauraque's song is very variable, but includes a whistled weeeow wheeooo, soft puk puk and a whip given in

the courtship flight as he flutters around the female. Her call is a rapid succession of whip sounds.

SwiftsApodidaeThe swifts are birds superficially similar to swallows but are actually not

closely related to those passerine species at all; swifts are in the separate

order Apodiformes, which they formerly shared with the hummingbirds. The

treeswifts are closely related to the true swifts, but form a separate family,

the Hemiprocnidae.

The resemblances between the swifts and swallows are due to convergent

evolution reflecting similar life styles based on catching insects in flight.

The family scientific name comes from the Ancient Greek , apous,

meaning "without feet", since swifts have very short legs and never settle

voluntarily on the ground, perching instead on vertical surfaces. The tradition

of depicting swifts without feet continued into the Middle Ages, as seen in theheraldic martlet.

Swifts are the most aerial of birds and some, like the Common Swift, even

sleep and mate on the wing. Larger species, such as White-throated

Needletail, are amongst the fastest flyers in the animal kingdom.

One group, the Swiftlets or Cave Swiftlets have developed a form of echolocation for navigating through dark cave

systems where they roost. One species, Aerodramus papuensis has recently been discovered to use this navigation at


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night outside its cave roost also.

Like swallows and martins, the swifts of temperate regions are strongly migratory and winter in the tropics.

Many swifts have a characteristic shape, with a short forked tail and very long swept-back wings that resemble a

crescent or a boomerang. The flight of some species is characterised by a distinctive "flicking" action quite different

from swallows. Swifts range in size from the Pygmy Swiftlet (Collocalia troglodytes), which weighs 5.4 g and measures 9cm (3.7 inches) long, to the Purple Needletail (Hirundapus celebensis), which weighs 184 g (6.5 oz) and measures 25 cm

(10 inches) long.

The nest of many species is glued to a vertical surface with saliva, and the genus Aerodramus use only that substance,

which is the basis for bird's nest soup.

Grey-rumped Swift Chaetura cinereiventris

The Gray-rumped Swift, Chaetura cinereiventris is a small swift.

This species breeds in hill forests from Nicaragua south to Peru, Brazil and northern Argentina, and Grenada, Trinidad

and Tobago. The nest is a half saucer of twigs glued to the inside of a tree hole, chimney or similar shaded location with

saliva.

Gray-rumped Swift is 11.5 cm long and weighs 15 g. The upperparts are black with a grey triangular band across the

rump, and the underparts are slate grey. It has a long black-grey tail.

Gray-rumped Swift feeds in flight on flying insects. It is often low over roads or clearings in the morning or evening,

rising high above the forest, often with other swifts, in the middle of the day.

Gray-rumped Swift has a chittering call.

Short-tailed Swift Chaetura brachyura

The Short-tailed Swift, Chaetura brachyura, is a common resident

breeding bird on Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada and St Vincent, and in

tropical South America from Panama, Colombia and the Guianas

south to Ecuador, Peru and Brazil.

This small swift is found in a range of habitats including savanna,

open woodland, and cultivation. The nest is a 5 cm wide shallow half-

saucer of twigs and saliva attached to a vertical surface. This is often

a man-made structure like a chimney or manhole, as with its relative,

the Chimney Swift C. pelagica, but natural caves and tree cavities are

also used.

Up to seven white eggs (average 3.7) are incubated by both parents

for 17-18 days.

The young leave the nest in a further two weeks, but remain near it, clinging to the cavity wall without flying, for

another two weeks.

The Short-tailed Swift is about 10.5 cm long, and weighs 20 g. It has long narrow wings, a robust body and a short tail.The sexes are similar. It is mainly black with a pale rump and tail. It can be distinguished from related species in its

range, such as the Band-rumped Swift, C. spinicauda or the Gray-rumped Swift, C. cinereiventris by the lack of contrast

between the rump and the tail, the latter being much darker in the other species. The flight call is a rapid chittering sti-

sti-stew-stew-stew.

The Short-tailed Swift feeds in flight on flying insects, including winged ants and termites. It is very gregarious and

forms communal roosts when not breeding. Predation by bats at the nest sites has been suspected.


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Fork-tailed Palm-Swift Tachornis squamata

The Fork-tailed Palm Swift, Tachornis squamata, is a resident breeding

bird from Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas and Trinidad south tonortheastern Peru and Brazil.

This small swift is found locally in marshy habitats, or sometimes open

forest, usually near Moriche Palms. It builds a C-shaped nest of feathers,

saliva and plant material on the inside of the dead leaf of a Moriche

Palm. Three white eggs are laid in the depression of the C, and

incubated for 21 days to hatching.

Fork-tailed Palm Swift is a slender, narrow-winged species, 13.2 cm long,

with a long forked tail, and weighs 11 g. The call is a buzzed djjjjjj, like an

insect. The nominate western form T. s. squamata has black-brown

upperparts with a slight greenish gloss.

The underparts are a paler brown with a white throat and central underbody. The eastern race T. s. semota of Trinidad,the Guianas and central and eastern Brazil is much darker, almost steel-black above and darker brown below. Juveniles

are very similar, but have buff fringes to the upperparts and head in fresh plumage.

Despite its shape and association with palms, it is in a different genus to the Asian and African Palm Swifts.

Fork-tailed Palm Swift feeds in low flight on flying insects. It normally stays at less than 10 m above the ground. It

normally occurs in small groups of up to 30 birds.

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Hummingbirds are small birds in the family Trochilidae, native only to the

Americas. They are known for their ability to hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping

their wings, 15 to 80 times per second (depending on the species).The Giant

Hummingbirds wings beat 8-10 beats per second, the wings of medium sizedhummingbirds beat about 20-25 beats per second and the smallest beat 70 beats

per second. Capable of sustained hovering, the hummingbird has the ability to fly

deliberately backwards- they are the only group of birds able to do this or

vertically, and to maintain position while drinking from flower blossoms. They

are named for the characteristic hum made by their wings.

Hummingbirds are attracted to many flowering plantsshrimp plants, Heliconia,

bromeliads, cannas, verbenas, fuchsias, many penstemonsespecially those

with red flowers. They feed on the nectar of these plants and are important

pollinators, especially of deep-throated flowers. Most species of hummingbird

also take insects, especially when feeding young.

The Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) is the smallest bird in the

world,weighing 1.8 grams (0.06 ounces) and measuring about 5 cm (2 inches). A more typical hummingbird, such as the

Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus), weighs approximately 3 g (0.106 ounces) and has a length of 10-12 cm (3.5-4

inches). The largest hummingbird is the Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas), with some individuals weighing as much

as 24 grams (0.85 ounces) and measuring 21.5 cm (8.5 inches).

Most male hummingbirds take no part in nesting. Most species make a neatly woven cup in a tree branch. Two white

eggs are laid, which despite being the smallest of all bird eggs, are in fact large relative to the hummingbird's adult size.

Incubation is typically 14-19 days.


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Pale-tailed Barbthroat Threnetes leucurus

The Pale-Tailed Barbthroat (Threnetes leucurus) is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family. It is found in the

Amazon Basin proper and bordering countries, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, French Guiana, Guyana,Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or

tropical swamps.

The taxonomy of the Threnetes leucurus/T. niger complex has caused much confusion in recent years: Schuchmann &

Hinkelmann (1999) considered the Sooty Barbthroat a melanistic variant of T. leucurus, but as it was described first, its

scientific name was adopted for the entire species; Pale-tailed Barbthroat (T. niger). This, however, has not been

accepted by all authorities, notably SACC, which consider both T. niger and T. leucurus as valid species.

Black-throated Hermit Phaethornis atrimentalis

The Hermits are tropical hummingbirds in the subfamily

Phaethornithinae, comprising about 34 species in six genera.

Their plumage typically involves greens, browns, rufous or grey. Theylack the iridescent plumage of many other hummingbird species, and

the male and female plumages of hermits are often very similar, only a

few species showing the strong sexual dimorphism usually associated

with hummingbirds.

Hermits in the main genus, Phaethornis, have a long decurved bill with

a red or yellow base to the lower mandible, and their two central tail

feathers are elongated and tipped with white. The crown of the head is

flat, and two pale facial stripes enclose a dusky mask.

Hermits usually form leks and congregate on traditional display grounds, where females visit to choose a mate.

However, male hermits are less aggressively territorial than other male hummingbirds.

Hermits are closely associated with heliconias. The flowers are an important food source accessible to the longdecurved bill typical of this group of forest hummingbirds. Many species, including the Rufous-breasted Hermit, also

use the plant for nesting, attaching their conical nest to the underside of one of the plants broad leaves.

White-necked Jacobin Florisuga mellivora

The White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) is a large and

attractive hummingbird that ranges from Mexico south to Peru,

Bolivia and south Brazil. It is also found on Tobago and in Trinidad,

but breeding has not been proved on the latter island.

Other common names are Great Jacobin and Collared

Hummingbird.

The White-necked Jacobin is a widespread inhabitant of forest,mostly at higher elevations, being seen usually at a high perch or

just above the canopy. It is less common at lower elevations.

The 12 cm long male White-necked Jacobin is unmistakable with

its white belly and tail, a white band on the nape and a dark blue

hood. Females and the similar immature males are bronze-green

above and are less obvious.


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Their speckled green underparts and white tail tips are shared with the female Green-crowned Brilliant, but that

species has a white moustachial stripe and a straighter bill. Some young Andean Emerald have speckling extending

across their breast, but it is never as heavy as in the White-necked Jacobin. The black and white scaling on the vent of

the Jacobin is a good field mark.

These birds usually visit flowers of tall trees and epiphytes for nectar, and also hawk for insects.

Fork-tailed Woodnymph Thalurania furcata

The Fork-Tailed Woodnymph (Thalurania furcata) is a species of hummingbird in the

Trochilidae family. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French

Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Its

natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or

tropical moist montanes, and heavily degraded former forest.

Sapphire-spangled Emerald Polyerata lacteal

The Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Amazilia lactea, is a species of hummingbird that

occurs in Brazil from the Amazon south to Santa Catarina, Venezuela, Peru and

Bolivia. Both male and female have a bright "sapphire" blue chest and chin and

green-blue abdomen with a well-delineated white stripe. The bill is straight with a

black upper mandible and orange or pink lower mandible. The Emerald is found in

forest edges, mountainous regions and gardens in urban areas.

The species has an estimated range of 1,500,000 km, and while its population size is uncertain, it is believed to be

large since it has been described as "frequent" in at least some parts of its range. It is not considered to be in decline

and has been therefore evaluated as Least concern.

Trogons and QuetzalsTrogonidae

The trogons and quetzals are birds in the order Trogoniformes

which contains only one family, the Trogonidae. Alternatively, they

might constitute a member of the basal radiation of the order

Coraciiformes (Johansson & Ericson, 2003). The word "trogon" is

Greek for "nibbling" and refers to the fact that these birds gnaw

holes in trees to make their nests.

Trogons are residents of tropical forests worldwide, with the

greatest diversity in Central and in South America. The genus

Apaloderma contains the few African species, and Harpactes theAsian. The rest are neotropical.

They feed on insects and fruit, and their broad bills and weak legs

reflect their diet and arboreal habits.

Although their flight is fast, they are reluctant to fly any distance. Trogons do not migrate. Trogons have soft, often

colourful, feathers with distinctive male and female plumage. They nest in holes in trees or termite nests, laying white

or pastel coloured eggs.


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Documents

The Birds and animals of Mishana Nature Reserve in Peru