English             -              Rufous-tailed Jacamar

Portuguese      -              Ariramba-de-cauda-ruiva

Latin                 -              Galbula ruficauda         

I am very pleased to have photographed this colourful wee bird but must say it was not a difficult bird to photograph as they are curious and will allow you to get relatively close to them. I photographed the Rufous-tailed Jacamar in two different locations: at REGUA (Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu) in the state of Rio de Janeiro where I stayed for one month and on a road in the Pantanal, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (where we spent 11 days). At REGUA I  was walking along the Wetlands trail (the yellow trail) and the Rufous-tailed Jacamar flew in front of me and perched on a branch beside me. The second opportunity arose when Celia and I were driving along the State road ”MS184” in the Panatanal. We stopped the car on one side of a bridge to take photos and two Rufous-tailed Jacamar flew in and landed on an old wire fence very close to us. Sadly on both locations they parked themselves in the shade of trees. I’m sure that wasn’t to annoy me but as a way to keep cool, especially in the Pantanal where we experienced temperatures of up to 38 degrees. (and that was in their winter) but photographing these amazing wee birds in full sunlight would further enhance their amazing colouration.

* They are found in southern Mexico, Central America and South America as far south as southern Brazil and Ecuador.

* The Rufous-tailed Jacamar is typically 25 cm long with a 5 cm long black bill.

* Sexes differ in that the male has a white throat, and the female has a buff throat.

* The Female lays two to four rufous-spotted white eggs in a burrow in a bank or in termite mounds.

*  The Rufous-tailed Jacamar is a insectivore and hunts from a perch, sitting with its bill tilted up, then flying out to   catch flying insects.

* They have a high pitch ”peeo, peea, pee-pee-pee-pe-pe-pe-e-e-e’e’” sound.

* The conservation status of the Rufous-tailed Jacamar is rated as of ”Least Concern” by the IUCN. They have a very wide geographic distribution, and although population trends are believed to be decreasing due to numbers of breeding Rufous-tailed Jacamars disappearing in its range and with increasing human presence, and subsequent forest disturbance by people and domesticated animals, they are thought not to be in danger at this stage.

English             -              Scarlet Ibis

Portuguese      -              Guará

Latin                 -               Eudocimus Ruber

The Scarlet Ibis is a species of ibis in the Threskiornithidae family of birds. In form it resembles most of the other twenty-seven extant species of ibis, but its remarkably brilliant scarlet colouration makes it unmistakable. It is one of the two national birds of Trinidad and Tobago.       

The Scarlet Ibis is a bird which is bright red. Adults measure up to 63 cm in length and weigh up to 1.4 kgs. Males are slightly larger than females. Their wingspan is around 54 cm. Only the wing tips deviate from the characteristic scarlet colour. The tips are black. They have a long, curved, pinkish-brown bill and have pinkish-white slightly webbed feet. Juvenile Scarlet Ibis displays a mix of greys, whites and blacks across their body. During their second moult the bird begins to change from the blacks and greys to red. Like most wading birds they have long legs and a long neck. Their red colour comes from their diet. 

The Scarlet Ibis is a resident species of South America and some of the Caribbean islands. They can be found in Argentina, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela and Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago. They are most prolific in the Llanos region of South America. They inhabit wetlands and other areas of shoreline. They also range through mud flats, mangroves, marshes and rainforest. They will gather near fresh and salt water estuaries.

The Scarlet Ibis obtains food by probing in the sand, soft mud or under plants with its beak. They can eat beetles, insects, small fish, crayfish and amphibians. They do however, eat a lot of shrimp and other similar creatures like small crabs, mollusks and other crustaceans. The large quantity of shrimp and other red shellfish produces a surfeit of astaxanthin, a carotenoid which is the key component of the birds’ red pigmentation.

The Scarlet Ibis has a colonial and social breeding system. Nests are generally built close to one another with more than one nest per tree. This is most likely done to reduce the risks of predation. Males use displays of preening, flights, head rubbing, and a rocking motion to attract mates. A female must be cautious when approaching a male, because he may actually attack her if she does not remain in his display area. Scarlet ibises are polygynous. The mating pair will build a simple nest consisting of a loose platform of sticks. The first egg is laid 5 to 6 days after copulation and there are usually 3 to 5 eggs in each nest. Eggs are not glossy, but are smooth. Incubation lasts between 19 to 23 days. Chicks fledge after 35 days and are independent in 75 days. Parental responsibilities are shared by both parents.

The Scarlet Ibis is facing many threats at present. Over hunting, the harvesting of eggs and the selling of young as pets in open-markets are just three of the things affecting population sizes. Other crucial aspects threatening the species revolve around habitat loss. Nesting ground destruction and loss of foraging and feeding grounds are serious problems, along with heavy pollution in these now limited areas. There are laws and regulations that have been issued to protect the Scarlet Ibis habitats and also guard the animal from hunting. However, in many areas, law enforcement is weak. In Brazil the Scarlet Ibis has been included on a national list of endangered species. In saying all this,  the Scarlet Ibis is classified as a species “of least concern” on the IUCN red list. Though several local populations appear to be in decline, global totals remain relatively large and the current rate of losses is not considered a threat to the species’ survival.

Photos of the Scarlet Ibis were taken at Parque das Aves - Foz do Iguacu - Parana. Photo No 3 is of a Juvenile.

English            -             Scaled Dove

Portuguese     -             Fogo-apagou

Latin                -             Columbina squammata

The Scaled Dove is a distinctive little Ground-Dove, also known as the Scaly dove, Ridgway’s dove, Mottled dove, and South American Zebra dove.  It is a species of bird in the Columbidae family.

The Scaled Dove measures around 22 centimetres in length and can weigh up to 60 grams. The Scaled Dove has greyish-brown upper parts, pinkish-grey face and breast, white throat and white flight feather coverts that form a conspicuous white patch on the bird’s closed wings. The dove gets its “scaled” appearance from the dark edges of the birds feathers. Their song is a rather loud rhythmic three-note phrase “pow-co-pow”, repeated every 2-3 seconds.

The Scaled Dove has quite a vast range and is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry scrubland, subtropical or tropical moist scrubland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grasslands, and heavily degraded former forest.

The Scaled Dove normally feeds from the ground. It feeds on seeds, grains and invertebrates. They typically are found alone or in pairs when foraging on the ground. 

The nest of  the Scaled Dove is made from twigs and is in a shape of a cup, The nest is usually 1 or 2 meters of the ground but sometimes they nest on the ground. The female lays 2 white eggs. No other was information found regarding breeding,                 

The Scaled Dove is not globally threatened and the species is considered common throughout much of its sizeable range. Therefor it is listed on the IUCN list of threatened species, as a species “of least concern”

Photo of the Scaled Dove was taken at Tabocas (near Santa Teresa) - Espirito Santo