English          -          Wing-banded Hornero 

Portuguese  -          Casaca-de-couro-da-lama

Latin             -          Furnarius figulus

Endemic to Brazil, the wing-banded Hornero has been steadily expanding its range in recent years. It was normally found from Maranhão, in far northeast Brazil, south to about eastern Minas Gerais, but in the last few decades has spread south through Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, and has recently arrived in the city of São Paulo. Expansion has been partially ‘fuelled’ by habitat destruction.  

The wing-banded Hornero is around 16 cm long and weighs 34-37 g. Its natural habitats include a wide range of wooded habitats, especially near water and around mudflats. It feeds on insects, other arthropods, and shelllfish - in short, any prey found by upturning stones and litter. 

The wing-banded hornero breeds in February-September. They nest in a shallow oval cup made of dry grasses, cotton and other plant fibres, as well as feathers, and sometimes lined with pieces of plastic and paper.  The female lays 2 eggs which are incubated by both parents for about 20 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 22 days after hatching.

Although the global population size has not been confirmed, this species is described as “fairly common” over its very large breeding range. As previously mentioned, this species are expanding their range, which is expected to be continue.

Photo No. 1 taken in Meaipe - Espirito Santo on exposed rocks at low tide

Photo No 2 taken in Santa Teresa - Espirito Santo at an irragation pond.

 English         -          Hummingbird 

 Portuguese  -          Beija-flor 

 Latin             -          Colubris  

The hummingbird is named because of the sound their wings make after flapping at a rate of 60 to 80 times per second (a humming sound). There are over 340 identified species of hummingbirds, including the worlds smallest bird - the bee hummingbird. This makes them the second largest bird family in the world. They are different from other birds due to their aerodynamic layout. They are the only bird that can fly backwards and upside down. This is because the design of their wings is circulate in motion rather than just up and down.  

They only live in the Americas. They range from Alaska, all the way down to the Southern tip of Chile. They can be found in desert areas, coastal regions, forests and meadows but prefer areas with lots of trees, bushes, and vines, etc. They are very territorial and keep a close eye on who else is in their range. They will fight each other over food sources and habitat. They try to find a place to sleep where they have some shelter. Since these birds are small and have no real defense they do their best to remain well hidden from predators and other dangers. Sometimes they are found sleeping upside down in trees.   

Hummingbirds don’t have much protection in the wild. They are able to fly quickly and they often blend into their surroundings. The types of predators depends on their location and often what time of year it is. Their main Predators are cats (domestic and wild) other predatory birds and snakes.

To attract a female, male hummingbirds perform elaborate courtship dances (some even dive) to get the female to accept him. Females signify their acceptance by perching on a branch and spreading their tail feathers. After mating, the male leaves, (in other words, after the deed, the male flees without having to pay child support) leaving the female to build a nest, incubate the eggs and feed the young. The nest is not much bigger than a ping pong ball and is built from leaves, lichens and spider web silk. Her two eggs are the size of jellybeans and are incubated for 11 to 17 days. After the eggs hatch, the mother feeds the nestlings small insects. After 21 days the nestling are able to fly and start feeding themselves.

Hummingbirds can eat up to 8 times per hour. However, each feeding session will last from 30 seconds to 1 minute. The majority of their diet is sugar. They consume the nectar from flowers. They also find sugar from tree sap.
In many locations there are species that consume pollen and small insects. They do though prefer sugar. However, they are opportunistic so they will dine on whatever they can find.
When food is plentiful hummingbirds will consume up to 3 times their body weight daily. They have a grooved tongue that is designed to help them consume nectar and other types of food rapidly. They have a long tubular like bill that is designed specifically for their dietary needs.
Instead of a stomach the Hummingbird features a sac element that is in their throat area. That is where they will store the food that they consume until it is taken to the small intestine and then digested when food is more scarce.

All three photos of the Humminhbirds were taken at ”Museu de biologia mello leitão santa teresa”

English         -          Tarantula

Portuguese  -          Tarantula

Latin             -          Theraphosa apophysis

Tarantulas give some people the heebie jeebies because of their large, hairy bodies and legs. But these spiders are harmless to humans (except for a painful bite), and their mild venom which is weaker than a typical bee sting. Among arachnid enthusiasts, these spiders have become popular pets. 

Tarantulas can live up to 30 years in the wild. They periodically shed their external skeletons in a process called molting. In this process, they also replace internal organs, such as female genitalia and stomach lining, and even regrow lost appendages.

There are over 700 tarantula species found in most of the world’s tropical, subtropical, and arid regions. They vary in color and behavior according to their specific environments. Generally, however, tarantulas are burrowers that live in the ground. Tarantulas are slow and deliberate movers, but accomplished nocturnal predators. Insects are their main prey, but they also target bigger game, including frogs, toads, lizards and mice. The South American bird-eating spider, as it name suggests, is even able to prey upon small birds. A tarantula doesn’t use a web to ensnare prey, though it may spin a trip wire to signal an alert when something approaches its burrow. These spiders grab with their appendages, inject paralyzing venom, and dispatch their unfortunate victims with their fangs. They also secrete digestive enzymes to liquefy their victims bodies so that they can suck them up through their straw-like mouth openings. After a large meal, the tarantula may not need to eat for a month. 

The tarantula’s own mating ritual begins when the male spins a web and deposits sperm on its surface. He copulates by using his pedipalps (short, leglike appendages located near the mouth) and then scuttles away if he can—females sometimes eat their mates. Females seal both eggs and sperm in a cocoon and guard it for six to nine weeks, when some 500 to 1,000 baby tarantulas hatch.

Tarantulas have few natural enemies, but the parasitic pepsis wasp is a formidable exception. Such a wasp will paralyze a tarantula with its sting and lay its eggs on the spider’s body. When the eggs hatch, wasp larvae gorge themselves on the still living tarantula.     

These spiders are amazing to see in the wild. Once you get over the initial shock of coming across one, you are in awe over their presents. They don’t want to harm you, infact, once they sense you, there first instinct is to go the other way. Amazing creatures. So fortunate to have come across 2 different types in 2 different locations.

Photo # 1 was taken at Alfredo Chaves Espirito Santo.

Photo # 2 was taken at Morro Do Moreno, Vila Velha Espirito Santo.