English - Double-collared seedeater
Portuguese - Coleirinho
Latin - Sporophila caerulescens
The Double-collared seedeater is a small bird (about the same size as a common sparrow) They are around 10 cm long and weigh around 10 g. The male has a gray head and back, a black-collared throat, paired with a black band just below, across the upper whitish breast. It has gray legs, a medium length tail, and the stout bill for eating seeds. The female is less colorful.
The Double-collared seedeater is found throughout the southern half of Brazil and in Bolivia, Peru, northern Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. They are mostly found in moist scrublands, but also in degraded patches of former forest, pastures, rural gardens and arable land. They are often found in rice paddies. This species occurs from sea level up to an altitude of around 2100 m.
They mainly eat grass seeds and often take rice seeds from rice plantations. They also eat fruits.
Double-collared seedeaters breed in October-May. The nest is a shallow cup made of grasses, rootlets and other plant fibres, placed in a tree or scrub a few metres above the ground. The female lays 2 eggs, which she incubates alone for 12 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 12-15 days after hatching.
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be increasing as ongoing habitat degradation is creating new areas of suitable habitat.
The photos of the Double-collared seedeaters were taken at Alfredo Chaves, ES!
English - Southern Caracara
Portuguese - Caracara
Latin - Caracara plancus
The southern caracara, also known as the southern crested caracara or carancho, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. The Southern Caracara is characterized by a dark brownish-black forehead, crown and nape. The crown extends back as a short crest. The chin, throat, cheek and ear coverts are white or pale brownish-yellow. The bare skin in front of the eye is red (turning yellow when excited). The upper back feathers are whitish with wedge shaped black tips. The lower back is brownish with white bars. The breast is whitish, heavily barred blackis brown, becoming almost solid blackish brown on the abdomen, and turning to white barred with lighter brown on the under tail coverts. The wings are dark brownish-black. The legs and feet are yellow and the bill is bluish at the base and tipped whitish or yellowish. Adult pairs are generally monogamous and highly territorial exhibiting strong site fidelity. The pair bond is maintained year-round, and individuals may remain paired for many years.
They build a nest in tall vegetation or tree-like structure commanding wide views. The nests are bulky yet woven. They may be re-used for several years. A clutch consists of 2 eggs, sometimes 1 or 3, rarely 4, which are incubated by both parents for 30-33 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge at an age of 7-8 weeks.
They feed on insects; small and occasionally large vertebrates, including fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals; eggs; and carrion of all types. They cannot open large carcasses; but wait for vultures to arrive then scares them off after they have opened the carcass up. They are suspected of attacking and killing newborn lambs and goats, for which they have suffered heavy persecution; but here is little evidence to suggest that this actually happens.
The southern caracara is found in most parts of South America. It avoids the Andean highlands and dense humid forest, such as the Amazon rainforest. It is listed as “least concerned” by Bird Life International, so is not under immediate threat. In fact, it is likely that they will benefit from the widespread deforestation in tropical South America.
Photo of the southern Caracara was taken at Praia da Costa, Vila Velha, Brazil. There are always two of them there and they seem to scavenge around the rubbish bins on the beach first thing in the mornings. I’m finding it hard to get good photos of them because they are always very alert and don’t allow you to get too close and as soon as the sun comes up they seem to scatter to another place inland. But most mornings I get up early and try and try again.
English - Black Vulture
Portuguese - Urubu-de-cabeça-preta
Latin Name - Coragyps atratus
With sooty black plumage, a bare black head, and neat white stars under the wingtips, Black vultures are almost smart looking……. if they weren’t so ugly. (no offence) They are compact birds with broad wings, short tails, and powerful wingbeats. The Black vulture (where possible) makes up for its poor sense of smell by following another type of vulture like the Turkey vultures (who have a more developed sense of smell) to carcasses. Black vultures lack a voice box and so their vocal abilities are limited to making raspy hisses and grunts.
Black Vultures live year-round in forested and open areas of the eastern and southern United States south to South America. Most abundant at low elevations but usually forage in open habitats and along roads. Some live in semirural suburbs. Black vultures roost in undisturbed stands of tall trees. Roost sites are often close to water and next to obstructions that generate updrafts of air, to help the flock take flight in the early morning.
Black vultures feed almost exclusively on carrion, locating it by soaring high in the skies on thermals. From this vantage they can spot carcasses . Black vultures often gather in numbers at carcasses. Their carrion diet includes feral hogs, poultry, cattle, donkeys, opossums, striped skunks, and armadillos. Sometimes Black Vultures wade into shallow water to feed on floating carrion, or to catch small fish. They are also known to attack and kill new born calves. They also often investigate dumpsters and landfills to pick at human discards.
Black vultures keep the same partner for many years. In Brazil they normally lay eggs in September/October, they lay their eggs on the ground in a wooded area, a hollow log, or some other cavity, seldom more than 3 m above the ground. While it generally does not use any nesting materials, it may decorate the area around the nest with bits of brightly colored plastic, shards of glass, or metal items such as bottle caps. Clutch size is generally two eggs, though this can vary from one to three. The egg is oval and on average measures 7.56 cm × 5.09 cm. The smooth, grey-green, bluish, or white shell is variably blotched or spotted with lavender or pale brown around the larger end. Both parents incubate the eggs, which hatch after 28 to 41 days. Upon hatching, the young are covered with white down. They can feed their young up to eight months after fledging, and maintain strong social bonds with their families throughout their lives. Both parents feed the nestlings, regurgitating food at the nest site. The young remain in the nest for two months, and after 75 to 80 days they are able to fly. Predation of black vultures is relatively unlikely, though eggs and nestlings are readily eaten if found by ground predators. Due to its aggressiveness and size, few predators can threaten the fully-grown vulture. However, various eagles may kill vultures in conflicts.
Black vultures roost in large flocks in the evening, using the communal roost as a meeting place where foraging groups can assemble and adults can reconvene with their young.. Black vultures aggressively prevent non relatives from joining them at roosts or following them to food sources. They attack each other by pecking, biting, wing-pummeling, and foot-grappling.
Black vultures are not considered as “under threat” but in the past, there were concerns vultures were spreading disease. (despite a lack of scientific evidence) vultures were trapped, poisoned and shot by the thousands until the 1970s. Black Vultures have also faced threats including fewer available nest sites and collisions with cars.
Photo No 1 was taken in a small seaside village called Meaipe in Espirito Santo.
Photo No 2 was taken at a small fishing beach called Praia do Ribeiro, Vila Velha, Espirito Santo.
