English - Orange-headed Tanager
Portuguese - Saí-canário
Latin - Thlypopsis sordida
I always get a bit of a buzz when I go somewhere and photograph something new. In fact, I hate to say it but it sort of dictates how good somewhere was. If I come back from somewhere and I didn’t photograph a new species, I come back disappointed. Fortunately most places I’ve been to here in Brazil, I have photographed new species. Anyway………. the Orange-headed Tanager was a new species that I photographed when I went to visit Celia’s Aunties house in a place called Tabocas near town of Santa Teresa which is about 78 km north west of the state capital Vitoria. We were there for 3 days and a managed to photograph the Orange-headed Tanager a few times around the house. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t the best. It was overcast and wet. I had to pump up the ISO to 1600 to get reasonably good /sharpish photos. The photos are a bit grainy but not too bad.
* The Orange-headed Tanager is a small bird of around 13 cm in length and weighs around 19 g.
* It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.
* It inhabits subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, scrubland, and heavily degraded former forest areas.
* The Orange-headed Tanager song varies geographically but normally is a high-pitched, jerky sound.
* The Orange-headed Tanager is omnivorous. Its diet includes fruit, seeds and insects.
* The female lays 2 or 3 whitish / blue eggs. They are incubated for up to 14 days. Chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 12 days after hatching.
* Although the global population size has not been quantified, the Orange-headed Tanager is described as fairly common over its extremely large breeding range. The population is suspected to be stable therefore it is classified as a species ”of least concern” on the IUCN red list.
English - Cattle Egret
Portuguese - Garça-vaqueira
Latin - Bubulcus ibis
The Cattle Egret was one of the more common species I saw while staying at REGUA. (Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu) Especially first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon. First thing in the morning they would normally leave the reserve in flocks and head out to the surrounding paddocks to feed and then late in the afternoon come back to roost in the trees in the reserves wetlands. (photo # 3) Photos 1 & 2 were taken inside the reserve at REGUA as I was walking around the wetlands trail (yellow Trail) Now,…………….to go against what I have just said, the Cattle Egret in the photos was alone and stayed in the same spot for a some days. Not to sure if it was sick or something but it just seemed unusual for it to be alone and in the same place for so many days. Anyway one day it wasn’t there anymore, I’d like to think it joined the flock again and was out feeding with its mates. On a philosophical note…….that’s the reason I love to photograph wildlife as I am documenting its life, capturing moments of its existence.
* The Cattle Egret is also known as the Buff-backed heron.
* It has a Length of up to 56 cm, Wingspan of around 96 cm and weighs about 390 g.
* The Cattle Egrets call is described as a ”hoarse croak” (actual recording was taken at REGUA)
* They are found in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
* The Cattle Egret is found in open, grassy areas, such as pastures, meadows, marshes, flood plains and swamps.
* They feed on a wide range of prey, particularly insects as well as spiders, frogs and earthworms. They are usually found with cattle and other large grazing animals and catch small creatures disturbed by the mammals.
* A group of Cattle Egret is collectively known as a “stampede of Egrets.
* The female lays one to five bluish-white eggs. Incubated for around 23 days. The nestlings begin to leave the nest and climb around at 2 weeks and fledge at 30 days and become independent after 45 days.
* The Cattle Egret has a large range and population numbers are believed to have increased. It is one species that is benefiting from deforestation as more and more forests are being transformed into plantations, farmland, etc. The Cattle Egret is a species classified as a species ”of least concern”.
English - Black Howler
Portuguese - Bugio-preto
Latin - Alouatta caraya
I was surprised that the Black Howler was one of the first things I saw and photographed when we stayed at Passo do Lontra Parque Hotel in the Pantanal. As soon as we checked in at the hotel, I was away, looking around the grounds to see what I could photograph as there is a lot of wildlife (mainly birds) within the grounds. At this hotel, there is a long boardwalk (around 1km in length) which loops around the wetlands. As I was walking around I noticed something black in a tree in the distance. Thought it was a bird at first, as I got closer, starting thinking to myself, it’s a strange looking bird. Then As I got closer I was surprised to realise it was a black Howler. accompanied by a couple of females. As I got closer to them they scampered higher into the tree and jumped to the next tree and disappeared. I encounter them a few more times over the days we stayed there. Normally you would hear them first though. I was lucky it was a bright, sunny day. If it was a dull day they would have blended into the background more but because it was sunny they stand out more, especially the female. (golden brown colour)
* The Black Howler is also called the Black howling monkey and the Black and gold howler monkey.
* It is one of the few primate species with different coat colours in males and females. (Males are black, Females white/ golden brown)
* The Black Howler measures 130 cm from head to tail (Body length 65cm, Tail, 65cm) and weighs around 15kgs.
* They have prehensile tails that they can use to grab onto branches.
* Named for their vocalisations, The Black Howler can be heard 5km away.
The Black Howler can live up to 20 years in the wild.
* It is found in southern Brazil, Paraguay, eastern Bolivia, and northern Argentina.
* The habitat of the Black Howler is primary, arid deciduous, and broadleaf forests.
* It is a folivorous. They eat mostly leaves but do compliment their diet with fruits, buds and flowers.
* The gestation length for the female Black Howler is 187 days. Infants are about 125 g at birth. Females give birth to one offspring per birth and cares for the infants for about one year before mating again.
.* The Black Howler practices allomothering
* The Black Howler is listed as a species ”of Least Concern“ It has a large range and is present in several national parks. Numbers of the the Black Howler are thought to be declining though because of habitat loss due to agricultural development and some subsistence hunting within its range.
