English - Boat-billed Heron
Portuguese - Arapapá
Latin - Cochlearius cochlearius
I think the Boat billed Heron is one of the strangest birds I’ve photographed. Normally quite a shy bird, the Boat-billed Heron is mainly a nocturnal species. In saying that I photographed the Boat-billed Heron (photo No. 1) during the day when I was staying at REGUA. (Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu) It was viewed from inside the hide that is situated on the Wetlands trail (yellow trail) at the reserve. it was quite along way away and I have cropped the photo quite a bit. The second photo of the Boat-billed Heron was taken at Passo do Lonta in the Pantanal. It was taken when I was doing a night cruise up the Miranda River in search of the elusive Jaguar. Didn’t find the Jaguar but the guide found the Boat-billed Heron amongst the bushes on the river side. It was quite hard to photograph as it was pitch black and only had torch light as a light source. Had to boost up the cameras ISO for this photo.
* The Boat-billed Heron gets its name because of its broad bill, which is shaped like an overturned row boat.
* It is also known simply as the boatbill.
* The Boat-billed Heron is a stocky looking bird with a length of 53 cm, weighs about 600 gr. and has a wingspan of 76 cm.
* Both sexes are very similar in appearance.
* The Boat-billed Heron utters a low, accelerating clucking “cu-cu-cu-cu-kah” type sound. (actual recording taken at REGUA)
* It ranges from Mexico, south to Bolivia and Northern Argentina.
* The Boat-billed Heron uses wooded or mangrove fringes of fresh water creeks, rivers, lakes and marshes with thick bushes or trees overhanging water, which it requires for daytime roosting and nesting. It is a low land species, occurring to 650 m above sea level.
* It is mainly an nocturnal species and feeds at night.
* The Boat-billed Heron mainly feed on fish, crustaceans, insects and small amphibians.
* The female lays two to four bluish white eggs which are incubated for 25-27 days by both parents. Nestlings fledge after 6 to 8 weeks.
* The Boat-billed Heron does have some natural predators such as foxes and snakes as well as humans (not so natural) but The Boat-billed Heron is fairly common in its range and with a stable population it is classified as a species ”of least concern”.
English - White Woodpecker
Portuguese - Pica-pau Branco
Latin - Melanerpes candidus
I photographed the White Woodpecker when we went to visit Pousada São João Ecotour in the Pantanal (2,268 km from Vila Velha) which is not only a hotel but it is also a working farm. I was walking around the grounds of the pousada on a hot, hot day when I heard a distinctive tap, tap, tapping. Looked up and observed the White Woodpecker doing what woodpeckers do best, tap, tap tapping. I was able to observe it for quite along time. it didn’t seem to bothered with me being there. The first 2 above photos are of the same bird in the same tree. The third photo was taken a couple of hundred metres away, later on the day. Not to sure if it was the same White Woodpecker.
* Smallish to medium-sized Woodpecker of 29 cm in length and weighs around 136 g.
* The common call of the White Woodpecker is a “ghirreh” or “kreer”
* Its range extends from Suriname and French Guiana, through much of Brazil to southeastern Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina, east of the Andes.
* The White Woodpecker inhabits dry subtropical forest, woodland and open wooded areas, grasslands and savannahs with lightly scattered trees.
* Predominantly will eat fruits, also seeds and honey, insects, including wild bees and wasps and their larvae.
* The female lays 3-4 white eggs. The incubation is shared by both parents, but its duration is unknown, the young fledge about 35 days after hatching.
* The White Woodpecker is not threatened at this moment, and occurs in several protected areas and national parks or biological reserves in Brazil. The breeding areas seem to be expanding in the southern parts of the range. This species though is sometimes persecuted because they cause damages in orchards and fruit plantations. It can be trapped for the cage-bird trade in parts of Argentina. It is classified as a species ”of least concerned”
English - Roadside Hawk
Portuguese - Gavião-carijó
Latin - Rupornis magnirostris
The Roadside Hawk was a common sight in my travels around Brazil. Quite an easy bird to photograph. You can get reasonable close to them without disturbing them to much. The first 2 above photos were taken on different days and in different locations in the Pantanal in Mato Grosso do Sul. The third photo was taken just outside the grounds of REGUA (Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu) in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
* Like most birds of prey the female Roadside Hawk is larger than the male.
* The Roadside Hawk is a relatively small bird of prey with a length of 41 cm and weighs around 300 g.
* It’s calls is like a painful shout similar to a rreeaew.
* It is common throughout its range: from Mexico through Central America and most of South America east of the Andes.
* The Roadside Hawk lives in open to semi-open areas, forest borders, roadsides and plantations. Unlikely to find them in forest interior and in arid lands. They live between 0 and 1500 metres above sea level.
* This species has a very variable diet, including insects, reptiles, small mammals, birds and in some areas fish.
* The female lays 1-2 whitish eggs with brown markings. The incubation period lasts up to 37 days. The nestlings will fledge after 38 days.
* The Roadside Hawk is not globally threatened. Its widespread and generally very common. Commonest hawk in a wide variety of habitats throughout much of its extensive range. Therefore it is classified as a species ”of least concern”.
