Showing posts with label Fact Sheet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fact Sheet. Show all posts

Friday, January 26, 2018

Fact Sheet: BAY-HEADED TANAGER - Tangara gyrola

(Original Title: Rainforest Birds - Bay-Headed Tanager)
A Bay-headed Tanager in Manizales, Caldas, Col...
A Bay-headed Tanager (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bird Name:
Bay-headed Tanager

Latin Name:
Tangara gyrola

Status:
Least Concern

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Thraupidae
Genus: Tangara
Species: T. gyrola

General Information:
The Bay-Headed Tanager is a social, medium-sized bird of Central and South America. It is common throughout its extensive range. There are nine subspecies of the Bay-headed Tanager.

Physical Description:
These adult birds measure about 14 cm in length and weigh approximately 19.5 g. There is considerable variation in plumage within the subspecies. T. g. gyrola, the nominate type, is mainly green with a chestnut colored head, blue belly, and a thin golden band around its hind neck. The sexes are alike in appearance and the juveniles are duller in plumage and have green heads with chestnut speckles.

Diet:
The bird feeds primarily on fruit, which is often swallowed whole. They have also been known to pick insects off the underside of branches.

Habitat:
Its range spans from Central America, including Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, down to the Amazon Basin including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. It is also present on the island of Trinidad and Tobago. The Bay-headed Tanager occurs in forests and they prefer the wetter areas. The common habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Reproduction:
The bird builds a bulky cup nest in a tree. The female will normally lay two creamy white eggs that are speckled with brown. She will incubate them for a period of approximately14 days. The chicks will fledge after another 15 to 16 days.




Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Fact Sheet: GREATER INDIA HILL MYNAH - Gracula Religiosa intermedia

(Original Title: Rainforest Birds - Greater India Hill Mynah)

English: Eastern Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa ...
Eastern Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa intermedia) in the Walsrode Bird Park, Germany. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bird Name:
Greater India Hill Mynah

Latin Name:
Gracula Religiosa intermedia
Status:
Least concern

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae
Genus: Gracula
Species: G. Religiosa
Subspecies: G. Religiosa intermedia

General information:
Commonly known as the Talking Mynah, the Greater India Hill Mynah is one of 10 subspecies of G. religiosa, and is considered the northern subspecies. The Greater India Hill Mynah is an extremely vocal bird and is renowned for its ability to imitate. Along with the Java Hill Myna (G. religiosa religiosa) they are the most commonly captured and imported of the Hill Mynahs for the pet trade. Described by many as the best talking bird in the world, Hill Mynahs can choose to imitate any human voice and speak in high or low tones.

Physical Description:
The Greater India Hill Mynah averages 27 cm in length but can reach up to 35 cm. It is much larger in size than the Lesser Hill Mynahs. It has glossy black feathers which turn purple-blue when exposed to the sunshine. The wings show a white band and there is obvious yellow skin behind and below the eyes. The eye and nape patches are connected, which distinguishes it from the other subspecies. The bill is orange with a yellow tip. The feet and legs are also yellow. Males and females are similar. Juveniles also resemble adults, except their coats are dull and may have a ragged appearance before their first molt.

Diet:
The diet consists of fruits, berries and seeds of various shrubs and trees. They are also known to eat insects and small lizards.

Habitat:
The Greater India Hill Mynah inhabits north India, China, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and the northern through central part of Thailand. They prefer areas of high rainfall and humidity and spend most of their lives in trees. They are known for inhabiting dense jungles near the forest edge, although they are now commonly found on tea and coffee plantations with many flowering shade trees. While not breeding large flocks accumulate, but couples are obvious.


Reproduction:
The Greater India Hill Mynah nests in small tree holes usually located at the forest edge. Several pairs may nest in the same tree without territorial aggression. The monogamous pair searches together for the nesting site. Both sexes fill the hole with twigs, leaves, and feathers. Females instigate copulation by stretching horizontally and flapping their tails up and down quickly. The average clutch is 2 eggs which are blue with brown spots. Incubation lasts 13-17 days and the majority is done by the female. Parents will feed the nestlings together and they will leave them unattended when searching for food. The young fledge after a month and the pair will begin a new clutch. Hill mynas average 2-3 clutches per year, with the most occurring in warmer climates. Breeding is between April and July, although it does vary slightly by region.




Friday, November 17, 2017

Fact Sheet: SWAINSONS TOUCAN - Ramphastos swainsonii

(Original Title: Rainforest Birds - Swainson's Toucan)

English: The Chestnut-mandibled Toucan or Swai...
The Chestnut-mandibled Toucan or Swainson’s Toucan (Ramphastos swainsonii) at Antwerp Zoo.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Bird Name:
Swainson's Toucan

Latin Name:
Ramphastos swainsonii

Status:
Least Concern

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Ramphastidae
Genus: Ramphastos
Species: R. swainsonii

General Information:
The Swainson's Toucan, named after English ornithologist William Swainson, is a large near-passerine bird native to Central America and northern South America. It is the second largest of the 37 species of toucan, only slightly smaller than the Toco Toucan. It prefers to be solitary or in smaller groups as opposed to large flocks.

Physical Description:
The male is around 22 inches in length and weighs about 750 g. The female is slightly smaller at about 20.5 inches and 580 g, but otherwise alike in appearance to the male. The Swainson's Toucan's distinctive, brightly marked bill can grow up to 8 inches long. It is mostly black in appearance but has a bright yellow face and upper breast, with narrow white and broader red bands forming a border above its lower breast. Juveniles are of a sootier black color with duller plumage, especially with regard to the red border and yellow bib of its breast.

Diet:
The Swainson's Toucan feeds on fruits, which it plucks from branches with its long beak. It will also eat insects and lizards for protein, especially during the nesting period


Habitat:
These toucans occur in forests ranging from Honduras and Costa Rica down through northern Colombia. They are resident breeders in moist lowland forests, often nesting in tree cavities or old woodpecker's nests.

Reproduction:
Female Swainson's Toucans lays 2 - 4 eggs per clutch and will incubate them for a period of 14 - 15 days. After hatching, the young toucans are fed by both parents and fledge the nest after about 6 weeks.




Monday, October 30, 2017

Fact Sheet: GREEN-CHEEKED CONURE - Pyrrhura molinae

(Original title: Rainforest Birds - Green-Cheeked Conure)


Green-cheeked Conure perching in an aviary at ...
Green-cheeked Conure perching in an aviary at Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, Malaysia.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Bird Name:
Green-cheeked Conure

Latin Name:
Pyrrhura molinae


Status:
Least Concern

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Genus: Pyrrhura
Species: P. molinae

General Information:
Another common name for the Green-cheeked Conure is the Green-cheeked Parakeet. This small parrot is common in captivity, where it's known for being playful and intelligent. In the wild, this social species occurs in central South America where it often forms large flocks in the treetops. There are five subspecies.

Physical Description:
This bird is usually between 9 - 10 inches in length and weighs close to 70 g. Its coloration is primarily green. It has a reddish-brown forehead and its nape is brownish green. The cheeks are a bright green and there are dull green patches on the sides of the neck, throat and upper breast. The tail is maroon, wing feathers have a bluish tinge and the breast is grayish. There is purple on the belly and the beak and ear covers are brown. Sexes are similar, and it is difficult to determine males from females. The juveniles have duller plumage with darker irises. They also exhibit less of the maroon coloration on the abdomen.

Diet:
A bird feeds on a diet of fruits, such as bananas and raisins, and seeds, such as sunflower and hemp seeds.

Habitat:
This parrot ranges from west central and south Mato Grosso, Brazil, through portions of northern and eastern Bolivia, and down to northwestern Argentina. It inhabits forests and other woodlands, congregating in large flocks.

Reproduction:
The mating season for the Green-cheeked Conure begins in February and several matings are possible. Females lay 4 - 6 eggs per clutch and average an incubation period of about 24 days.




Friday, September 15, 2017

Fact Sheet: WHITE-CAPPED PIONUS - Pionus Senelis

Photo of a pet White-capped Pionus parrot (Pio...
White-capped Pionus parrot (Pionus senilis). It had both its wings clipped and some of the feathers on both sides were growing back. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
(Original Title: Rainforest Birds - White-Capped Pionus)

Bird Name:
White-capped Pionus

Latin Name:
Pionus senelis

Status:
Least Concern

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Tribe: Arini
Genus: Pionus
Species: P. senilis

General Information:
The White Pionus is a relatively small and common domestically kept bird. In the wild its range extends from Mexico south to Panama, and can be found in a variety of habitats. The White-capped Pionus feeds in flocks comprised of 30 to 50 individuals, sometimes wandering beyond the breeding range after nesting is finished.

Physical Description:
The White Pionus is usually between 9 and 11 inches in length and weighs around 220 g. The White-capped is considered the smallest pionus. Their name is derived from the small white patch that adorns the head of the male. Males are generally larger than females and have a darker blue hue. In females, the blue plumage fades into scaling on the lower breast and their shoulder patches are duller. The White-capped Pionus' undertail, like those of all pionus, is bright red, and has speckled brown patches on its dorsal wings. There is also a blue lacing around its neck and along the edge of its tail feathers.


Diet:
Its diet encompasses various seeds and nuts as well as fruit and corn, which have made it a pest creature to many farmers and plantations.

Habitat:
These parrots are native to Central and South America, and have a range from Southwestern Mexico down across Panama. They are primarily found in lowland tropical forests as well as oak and pine forests up to 6000 feet in elevation. White-capped Pionus frequently nest in tree cavities or hollow palm stubs.

Reproduction:
A female Pionus will lay between 3 and 6 eggs per clutch in an unlined nest. In North America, the White-capped usually breeds in the spring, from approximately February or March to June or July.



Thursday, August 31, 2017

Fact Sheet: CANARY - Serinus canaria

(Original Title: Rainforest Birds - Canary)

Ohne Titel
Photo by steve p2008

Bird Name:
Canary

Latin Name:
Serinus canaria

Status:
Least Concern

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Genus: Serinus
Species: S. canaria

General Information:
The wild species is also known as Canary, Island Canary, Tame Canary, and Atlantic Canary. The Domestic Canary has been bred in captivity since the 1600s. They are divided into three main groups: Colorbred Canaries (bred for mutations), Type Canaries (bred for their shape), and Song Canaries (bred for unique song patterns). The word "Canary" is derived from the Latin canaria, "of the dogs", referring to the numerous wild dogs that inhabited the islands.

Physical Description:
The average length of the wild Canary is 12.5 cm, with a wingspan of 20 to 23 cm, and a weight of 15 to 20 gm. They are yellow green, with brownish streaking on their back and wings and have gray and brown in their plumage. The beaks and feet are pale in color. Females are duller in color.
In the case of the domesticated Canaries, there are hundreds of mutations that will have numerous variations in color.

Diet:
The diet in the wild consists of fruits, seeds, and nuts. They have a grove on the inner beak that helps them to break open nuts.


Habitat:
The Canary is native to the Azores, the Canary Islands, and Madeira. It inhabits semi-open areas such as orchards where it nests in shrubs and trees. It resides in elevations from sea level to 1700 m. A number of escaped populations occur on Bermuda, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Reproduction:
Breeding is generally between January and July. Females build the nests in bushes or small trees. Incubation takes about 14 days and the chicks fledge after two weeks.