English              -             Yellow-headed caracara

Portuguese      -             Carrapateiro

Latin                 -              Milvago chimachima

The Yellow-headed Caracara was a common sight when I was staying at REGUA. (Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu) It was a species that I would see on a daily basis, mostly when I was walking around the wetlands. (yellow trail) They seemed to be a nervous bird that was easily alarmed but with all wildlife photography, patience is the key and with a bit of patience can get reasonable close to them to get good photos. Being an easily alarmed bird though there is always a good chance of getting some good “wing action” photos. Photos 1,2,3 are of Adult Yellow-headed Caracara. Photo No.4 is off a Juvenile.

* The Yellow-headed Caracara is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. 

* It has a length of around 46 cm, a wingspan of 75cm and can weigh up to 360g.

* It’s a fairly small bird of prey. Like most falcons, the female is larger than the male.

* Yellow-headed Caracara screams “schreee”, growls “kraa-kraa-kraa”, and thin, hissing whistles.

* It is found in Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, Venezuela, Guiana, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina.

* The Yellow-headed Caracara frequents open areas with some trees, cultivated areas, pastures, swamps, forest edges and along streams.

* It’s a Omnivorous species that feeds on carrion, insects, fish, amphibians, fruits of the oil palm Elaeis, maize and horse dung. It is well known for picking off ticks from cattle.

* The female lays 1 to 2 eggs, incubation is for about 30 days. The young fledge after 40 days of age. 

* The Yellow-headed Caracara is widespread and common. It’s range and numbers appear to be spreading as a result from deforestation for cattle farming. It is also a common sight in urban areas in Latin American cities. The Yellow-headed Caracara is classified as a species ”of least concern”.

English            -                 White Monjita

Portuguese    -                  Noivinha

latin                -                  Xolmis Irupero 

I photographed the White Monjita on a hot, bright sunny day in the Pantanal, along the dirt road MS 184. (2259.5km from Vila Velha) Once again and this is what I love about wildlife photography, the  White Monjita wasn’t the “target species”. We had pulled over to photograph something else and as I was photographing another bird the White Monjita flew into a tree beside me. It posed for a couple of photos then flew away. This is the aspect I love about wildlife photography, you just don’t know what you will photograph. The White Monjita was what they call in the birding world, “a lifer” for me, which is a species that I had never seen or documented before.

* The White Monjita is a small bird of up to 18 cm in length and weighs around 30g. 

*  Adult White Monjita have pure white plumage except for the black primary flight feathers.

* It is often a silent bird, but sometimes will let out a weak “ghik” and a plaintive “piew”.

* It is found in central Bolivia south to central Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil. A separate and isolated population is found in eastern Brazil.

* The White Monjita frequents open and semi-open grassland, savannahs, pastures with scattered trees and bushes. 

* Some legends talk about the White Monjita as the soul of God. For this reason, it is never kept as a caged bird.

* It is also known as “the Ghost bird”. In addition to its pure white plumage, it often perches on head stones in graveyards.

*  The White Monjita has a diet of insect which it flies out and hovers over potential prey before pouncing on it on the ground, or by directly sallying to the ground to make its catch.

* The female lays 3-4 eggs which are incubated for 12-14 days. The nestlings fledge around 17 days after hatching. 

 * The White Monjita is parasitised by the Shiny Cowbird. 

* The White Monjita is not globally threatened. Rare to fairly common or common within its range of the Pantanal, Paraguay and Argentina; It is rare though in eastern Brazil. On the IUCN red list, it is classified as a species ”of least concern”.

English              -              Southern Screamer

Portuguese      -               Tachã

Latin                 -               Chauna torquata

I first photographed the Southern Screamer at Parque das Aves in the state of Parana. Once again, I didn’t rate myself to photograph it in the wild so was content to photograph it at Parque das Aves. It wasn’t until we checked into Passo do Lontra parque hotel in the pantanal that I saw wild Southern Screamers. There was a family of Southern Screamers living within the grounds of the hotel. There was Mum, Dad and 4 young and even though they had made their home within the grounds of the hotel and you could get reasonable close to them. The parents were very protective and would soon tell you if you were getting to close. They are a big bird, so it’s wise to do what you’re told when they start squawking at you. I saw them every day we were there. They would do a circuit of the grounds every day to feed in the swampy grounds of the hotel. All 3 photos were taken at the hotel. Photo No1 was taken on a different day to Photos 2 & 3. 

* The Southern Screamer is also known as the crested screamer.

* They are a big / solid bird with a length of 95 cm, weighs up to 5 kg and with a wingspan of around 170 cm.

* The Southern Screamer utters a very loud trumpet-like sound, often given in flight that can be heard up to 3 km away.

* Some have be domesticated. They make very good guard animals because of their loud deafening call.

* It is found in Bolivia, northern Argentina, southern and western Brazil, with some vagrant in southeastern Peru.  

* The Southern Screamer is found in tropical and subtropical wetlands, such as lakes, marshes, and flooded fields and meadows, usually with scattered trees.

* It eat aquatic plants, seeds, leaves, stems, and some crops. They graze in a similar fashion to ducks and geese.

* The Southern Screamer establishes monogamous relationships that can last several years or the pairs lifetime.

* The female lays 3 to 5 white eggs, with pale spots which are Incubated for up to 46 days. Young fledge at 10 weeks after hatching, and become independent at 12 to 14 weeks of age.

* The Southern Screamer has a large geographical range and a population that appears to be stable, therefore they are classified as a species ”of least concern” on the IUCN red list. However, farmers consider them a pest species because they can raid crops and are shot in some regions. Also, due to wetlands being drained, Southern Screamers have reduced breeding grounds. However, the species seems able to compensate fairly well and adapt.