English             -             Savanna Hawk

Portuguese     -              Gavião-caboclo

Latin                -              Buteogallus meridionalis

Birds of prey are my all time favourite animal to photograph. The Savanna Hawk is quite an easy bird to photograph as they are a wide spread species. I photographed it in 2 different locations. In the Pantanal and when I was staying at REGUA. (Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu) I found it easier though to photograph the Savanna Hawk in the Pantanal as you could get reasonably close to them. Around REGUA, they seemed to be a bit shy of humans. Photos 1 and 2 were taken around REGUA. (Photo No. 2 is of a Juvenile) Photo No 3 was taken in the heart of the Pantanal, along MS 184 and photo No 4 was taken in a field near the town of Miranda.

* The Savanna Hawk can get to lengths of up to 60 cm and weigh up to 1.07 kgs

* Both sexes are similar, but the female is larger than the male.

* They range from Panama, the Guyana and Trinidad,Colombia, Bolivia, Uruguay, Central Argentina and Brazil.

* Savanna Hawks frequent wooded and palm savannahs and swamps edges. Open country where it is often observed its prey.

* Savanna Hawks sometimes utters a shrill “keeeeeru” to communicate to each other.

* They are an opportunistic feeder. They feed on snakes, fish, lizards, frogs, small mammals, birds, large insects, caterpillars, grasshoppers, ants and spiders. 

* Females usually lays one or 2 eggs. Incubation lasts about 39 to 40 days. Young fledge about 45 to 50 days after hatching.

* The Savanna Hawk has an extremely large range and is thought to be increasing in numbers, therefore it is classified as a species of “least concerned”.

English             -             Hyacinth Macaw

Portuguese     -              Arara azul-grande

Latin                 -              Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus

I love photographing parrots and the Hyacinth Macaw is a pretty special parrot to see and to photograph as it is classed as an “vulnerable species”. I photographed them in the Pantanal in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The first 2 photos were taken at a place called Pousada São João which is located in the Heart of the Pantanal. Pousada São João is not only a place where you can stay but it is also a 2000 hectare working farm. It is also owned by the same people that own Passo do Lontra Parque Hotel which is the hotel we stayed at. Anyway………… Pousada São João started a project to attract and protect the Hyacinth Macaw and that was the main reason we visited the farm. We weren’t disappointed. As we drove down the long drive towards the farm, we saw about  5-6 Hyacinth Macaw feeding from a man made feeder on the side of the road. As the morning went on and we walked around the grounds more we were able to see a lot more. Photo No. 3 was taken as we were heading back to our pousada on MS184 which is a dirt road of 116 km long. We had stopped to photograph something else, when I heard the unmistakeable screech of the Hyacinth Macaws in a tree not far from where I was standing.

* The Hyacinth Macaw is the longest parrots in the world, measuring up to 1 metre in length.

* They can weigh up to 1.8kgs.

* The average life span of Hyacinth Macaw ranges from 50-60 years in both captivity and in the wild.

* They are mainly found in Brazil but are also found North eastern Paraguay and Eastern Bolivia.

* They prefer habitats such as palm swamps, woodlands, and semi open, wooded areas. They usually avoids dense, humid forest.

* The Hyacinth Macaw eats fruits, nuts, nectar, and various kinds of seeds. They can travel over vast areas for the ripest fruits.

* The Female lays 2 eggs which are incubated for around 29 days. Normally only one chick will survive and fledge after 4 month.

* Hyacinth Macaws utter discordant and guttural “kraaa-aaa”.

* The Hyacinth Macaw is listed as a “vulnerable species” on the IUCN red list. It is vulnerable due to the cage bird trade and habitat loss. Throughout the macaw’s range, it’s habitat is being lost or altered due to the introduction of cattle ranching and mechanised agriculture, and the development of hydroelectric schemes.

English            -             Common Marmoset

Portuguese    -              Sagui-de-Tufos-Brancos

Latin               -               Callithrix jacchus

Coming from a monkey free country like New Zealand, I always get a buzz when I manage to see and photograph any sort of Monkey. They are interesting things to watch and you get that feeling that they are also studying you.

Unfortunately the Common Marmoset which I photographed in the state of Rio de Janeiro at Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu (REGUA) on the forest trail (brown trail) is not a welcome visitor to the Atlantic rain forest in which REGUA is part of. They have been introduced from north eastern Brazil to this part of the world and have become an Invasive species by eating the eggs and nestlings of the native bird species. The Common Marmoset was a common species to see at REGUA, especially when you are walking around the forest trail or the wetlands. (yellow trail)

* The Common Marmoset is native to the northeastern coast of Brazil and is endemic to Brazil

* Through release (both intentional and unintentional) of captive individuals, it’s range has expanded.

* The Common Marmoset was introduced into Rio de Janeiro in the 1920’s.

* It is also called the Cotton Eared Marmoset. 

* It is one of the smallest species of monkey.

* An Adult can get to around 210 mm in length and weigh up to 260 gr.

* They feed on gum, insects, lizards, snails, fruit, flowers, nectar, eggs and nestlings of birds.

* It’s very common for the female  to gives birth to twins, but sometimes can give birth to 3-4.

* The Common Marmoset is classified as a species ”of least concern” on the IUCN red list. They do have a large population but it is thought to be in decline due to habitat loss and large numbers taken for the pet trade.