English         -          American Oystercatcher

Portuguese  -          Piru-piru

Latin             -          Haematopus palliatus

The American oystercatcher (occasionally called the American pied oystercatcher) comes from the Haematopodidae family of birds. 

The American oystercatcher has a distinctive black and white plumage and a long, bright orange beak. The head and breast is black and the back, wings and tail is a greyish-black. The underparts are white, as are the feathers on the inner part of the wing which become visible during flight. The irises are yellow and the eyes have orange orbital rings. The legs are pink. Adults are between 42–52 cm in length. The male and females are alike, although the female is usually larger, with a longer bill. A group of oystercatchers are collectively known as a “parcel” of oystercatchers.

They feed mostly on mussels, clams, oysters; also marine worms, sand crabs, limpets, sea urchins, jellyfish, and other small creatures of the intertidal zone. Often forages by walking in shallow water, searching for food by sight. The birds have two methods of opening shell fish. The first method is to, when finding a mussel with its shell slightly open, the oystercatcher quickly jabs its bill into the opening, cutting the muscles and then cleaning out the contents. In the second method, the bird simply hammers on the shell until it breaks open.

They first breeds at the age of 3-4 years. Sometimes they mate for life. In areas with high populations they may form trios, with one male and two females attending one nest or two nearby nests. The nest sits on the ground, on marsh islands or among sand dunes, usually well above the high tide mark. The nest which is built by both sexes is a shallow scrape in the sand, sometimes lined with pebbles or shells. They lay between 1-4 Buffy gray eggs speckled with dark brown spots. If the nests is attended by two females and one male their maybe up to 5-6 eggs in the nest. Incubation is by both sexes for around 24-28 days. The young first leave the nest shortly after hatching. Both parents feed the young for the first 2 months after hatching, although the young may attempt to forage on their own well before parents stop feeding them. After 5 weeks the young are able to fly.

The American Oystercatcher is classed as being of “Least Concern”. The reasons given are, that the bird has a very wide range and that the total number of individuals is believed to be stable, and actually increasing in some cases. Nevertheless, in some American states the American oystercatcher is listed as a species of concern because of low and declining populations. The threats to their coastal habitats includes development and recreational use of nesting beaches. This species is not protected under the Endangered Species Act.

The American Oystercatcher is slightly larger than the 2 types of Oystercatchers (South Island pied Oystercatcher and the Variable oystercatcher) we have on the New Zealand mainland.

Photo No. 1     -     Taken in the town of Meaipe, Espirito Santo

Photo No.2     -     Taken at Isla do Boi, Vitoria, Espirito Santo

English          -         Saffron Finch

Portuguese   -         Canário-da-terra-verdadeiro

Latin              -          Sicalis flaveola   

The Saffron Finch is from the South American tanager family but over past years there has been some debate as to whether it should belong to the same family as sparrows, etc. 

The Saffron Finch has yellow-green upperparts, yellow underparts, and an orange crown. Wing and tail feathers are black edged with yellow, gray upper mandible and ivory lower mandible, pink-gray legs and feet. The female is more dull in color and has paler underparts.

They can be found in open and semi-open habitats of northern Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela and north-east Brazil to central Argentina. 

They are mainly seed and grain eaters, but will feed on various insects and plants as well, especially when breeding.

Male saffron Finches are highly territorial and will fight to the death. For this reason, they are sometimes used as fighting birds in South America. They love to fly and enjoy bathing. The male is more likely to sing than the female. The song is repetitive. 

 Saffron Finches mate for life. They are “cavity nesters,” meaning they prefer the inside of trees or a hollowed-out area in bushes. The nests they build tends to be rather crude. Alternatively, they might use the abandoned nests of other birds. The female incubates the eggs by herself while the male guards the nest. They lay three to five eggs, which can be brown or white with brown spots, two to three times per year, which hatch in approximately 14 days. Both parents feed the hatchlings, which begin to fledge at about two weeks. They acquire adult plumage at one to three years, with males maturing more slowly than females. The saffron finch reaches sexual maturity at about 2 years of age. The birds live up to around 10 years. 

The Saffrein Finch is widely distributed and common throughout South America, thus the species is considered “of Least Concern”.

Photo No 1 was taken at Domingo Martins

Photo No 2 was taken at Santa Teresa

English              -              Southern Lapwing

Portuguese       -              Quero-quero

Latin                  -              Vanellus chilensis

Southern Lapwings are members of the plover family. They are primarily grey-brown with black and white on the face, breast, under wings and tail. Their beak is red-pink with a black tip and they have a thin black head crest. 

The Southern Lapwing is the only crested wader in South America. There are four subspecies, inhabiting different areas of South America.

The breeding season of the Southern Lapwing is between March and July. A male and female will form a stable bond to defend, incubate and feed the chicks. Defence can be very aggressive with groups of adults mobbing the potential predator. Clutch size of the Southern Lapwing varies from one to four eggs on a nest that sits on the ground. After hatching, it takes around a month for the chicks to fledge. Chicks are usually fed earthworms.

Southern Lapwings are exclusively ground dwelling birds, They will move around their home ranges mostly by walking or by short flights (approximately 10-20 m). Short flights are used for moving between feeding patches. During the nonbreeding season though individuals can fly long distances between different foraging sites.

The diet of the Southern Lapwing is mainly made up of insects, although they will also feed on worms and small fish. They wait for prey items to reveal themselves on the surface of the water or by moving in the under growth. They can be seen engaging in a characteristic plover-like behavior during foraging events, when they stand on one foot and execute trembling movements with the other foot. The trembling behavior seems to enhance their chance by somehow flushing their prey out.

Southern Lapwings are widely distributed and common throughout South America, thus the species is considered  “of Least Concern” . A Study of human activity on populations of the Southern Lapwing have been conducted in the past which supports the notion that this species may benefit from deforestation, as it creates more open habitats that are suitable for this species of bird during both breeding and nonbreeding seasons. 

First photo was taken at Parque Pedra da Cebola, Vitoria, ES 

Second Photo wa taken at Meaipi ES

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