English             -                Greater Ani

Portuguese      -                Anu-coroca

Latin                  -                Crotophaga major

Out of all the birds I photographed at Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu (REGUA) in the state of Rio de Janeiro, the Greater Ani was one of my favourites. Not only is it an attractive looking bird but a I found it a bit of a challenge to photograph. Unlike its smaller cousin, the Smooth Billed Ani, (Blog # 3) the Greater Ani was quite a shy bird and would flee as soon as they felt your presence. I was lucky though on one occasion, when I was walking around the wetlands (Yellow trail) at REGUA and a group of Greater Ani were busy feeding in a tree in front of me. I managed to sneak up and get reasonably close and take some reasonable photos before they noticed me and fled.

* Medium to large size bird. Adults can get to 48 cm in length and weigh around 165 gr.

* The Greater Ani is a member of the Cuckoo family and it is also called the black cuckoo.

* They range from Panama and Trinidad through to South America as far south as to northern Argentina. East of the Andes.

* They inhabit mangrove swamps, semi-open woodland near water, and forest edges.

* Their calls are described as croaking and turkey-like gobbling kro-koro.

* The Greater Ani feeds mainly on insects, but will also feed on lizards, fruits, berries and seeds.

* The Greater Ani has a very bad odour which helps protect it from creditors.

* The conservation status of the Greater Ani is classified as a species ”of Least Concern”. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this species is locally abundant in areas of appropriate habitat. Within its range though nesting habitats are being destroyed by the clearing of forests along rivers, lakes, and other waterways, and by the filling and dredging of marshes and swamps.

English            -              Red-crested Cardinal

Portuguese     -              Cardeal

Latin                -               Paroaria coronata

First of all, this wee bird is not to be confused with the Red-cowled Cardinal. (blog N0 56) Both birds are very similar in appearance but the Red-crested Cardinal has, as its name suggests, a crest on top of his head.

I photographed the Red-crested Cardinal on a few occasions when we went to the Pantanal in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. Photo No 1 was taken on a grass verge close to our pousada, Passo do Lontra as I stopped to take photos of something else and spotted the Red-crested Cardinal looking for some seeds to eat. Photo No 2 was taken on the side of the road on BR 262, near the town of Miranda, Mato gross do Sul. I had stopped the car to take photos of a 7 banded Amarillo that had crossed the road in front of us and the Red-crested Cardinal must have felt a bit left out and flew in to get some of the action.

* The Red-crested Cardinal is also known as the Brazilian Cardinal.

* Even though it is called a Cardinal, this bird is not closely related to the true cardinal family.

* The adult Red-crested Cardinal is 18cm in length and weighs up to 44 grams.

* Is found in E Bolivia, S & SE Brazil  W & C Paraguay, N Argentina and Uruguay. Introduced to the Hawaiian Islands. 

* They live in semi-open areas with shrubs and trees, such as parks, lawns, tropical shrub land and degraded forests.

* Red-crested Cardinals are omnivores and will eat fruit, seeds and insects.

* Their Song is a sweet, melodious and slowly delivered, often a repetitive series of alternating notes.

* The female can lay two to five eggs. Incubated for 12-13 days. Nestlings will fledge after 2-3 weeks. 

* Because the Red-crested Cardinal appears to have a stable population throughout its range, they are classified as a species ”of least concern” on the IUCN red list. The greatest threat to the Red-crested Cardinal at the moment is the capture and illegal trade as a cage bird. Because of its attractive appearance and song, makes it a sort after pet.

English           -            Wattled Jacana

Portuguese    -            Jaçanã

Latin                -            Jacana jacana

I think “patience” is the word when photographing this bird. As soon as the Wattled Jacana senses your presence, they flee but if you’re sneaky and quiet enough, you can get reasonably close. The photos of the Wattled Jacana were taken at Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu. (REGUA) They were taken on different days and were taken on bright sunny days. They were taken as I was walking around the wetlands at the reserve which in my view is a bit of a magnet for bird life. First 2 photos are of Adults. The 3rd photo is of a Juvenile. 

* The Wattled Jacana is a widespread species in South America.

* It inhabits freshwater wetlands with floating and emergent vegetation. 

They are a bird of around 23 cm in length.

* It is a noisy bird. It utters squeaky, sharp and cackling notes, and also series of twittering sounds “kee-kick, kee-kick”. 

* The female Wattled Jacana is larger and heavier than the male.

* The Wattled Jacana feeds mainly on insects and various invertebrates.

* Female lays 4 eggs but the male alone will incubate the eggs.

* The Wattled Jacana is classified as a species “of least concern”. However, it is threatened by habitat loss, drainage of wetlands and human disturbances. However, the development of pastures and grazing lands and their small associated reservoirs has helped increased the habitat in most parts of South America.