Laboratório de Tecnologia Educacional BIBLIOTECA DIGITAL               DE CIÊNCIAS

11 cm. The beak is grey. During the breeding season the male has bluish black feathers with white spots under the wings. When not breeding the feathers are black with white tips. The female is light brown. The subadult males are similar to the non-breeding adult but with the tip of the feather brown. Distribution: From Mexico to tropical South America. Habitat: Grasslands and open areas, sometimes inside cities. Diet: Feeds on seeds and insects. Reproduction: The male has a very typical breeding display. Perched in a branch it flies some 50cm upwards and comes back to the branch in a loop-like movement. During this display it shows its white feathers below the wings. When it fi...

Physical appearance: 17,5 cm. The male is bluish black with the forehead and chest chestnut. The female is olive brown streaked in brown in the upper parts. The immature is brown and striated. Distribution: Eastern South America from French Guyana to northern Argentina and as far west as Mato Grosso and eastern Bolivia. Habitat: Lives in humid grasslands, wetlands and ponds. Diet: Feeds mainly on insects and seeds, but also on fruits. Reproduction: Often nests in groups. The nest is built in a fork of a tree. Both male and female build the nest watering the material before using it. The nest is a deep basket. Natural history: The vocalization is melodic and commonly the predomi...

62 cm in length, 143 cm of wingspan. The feathers are absent in the head and neck. The body is black, with white spots near the tip of the wings (seen only when flying). Distribution: From central U.S.A to central Argentina. Habitat: Virtually in any kind of landscape, preferably in open areas. Absent in large areas of dense vegetation. Diet: Mainly carrion. Does not hunt, but kills injured or young animals, such as turtle eggs and hatchlings, even newly born big mammals like calves. May eat fruits. The excellent eyesight helps finding carrion at long distances. Reproduction: The courtship consists of movements of the male jumping on the ground with the wings opened and then...

48 cm. The face is grey, the chest cinnamon and the belly black. There is a large white spot in the wings, more evident when flying. The beak and feet are red. Males and females are similar. The immature is grayish brown Distribution: From Texas (U.S.A) to Bolivia and Argentina. Habitat: Lives in lakes, rivers, wetlands and even in mangroves. Diet: Feeds on leaves, small seeds and aquatic invertebrates. Reproduction: The nest is built on the ground or hollow trees. The eggs are white, sometimes greenish or bluish. More than one female may lay eggs in the same nest and sometimes may even lay eggs in other species’s nests such as the white faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata)....

12,5 cm. The general color is green, but the male has a bright blue area in the wings and lower back. The female does not have this blue area and the belly is somewhat yellow. There may be mutations producing all yellow or blue individuals. The plumage of the immature individuals is not as bright as the adult’s. Distribution: Tropical South America. Habitat: Forest borders, gallery forests, parks, gardens and open areas. Diet: Feeds on fruits, seeds, buds and flowers. Reproduction: It is monogamous. The couple stays together for the rest of their lives. The nest is built inside a hole in a tree that may be an abandoned nest of hornero (Furnarius rufus) or an artificial nest box. ...

12 cm. Small, the legs, beak and neck are short. The back is blue and the belly white. Male and female are similar. The immature individuals are brown in the upper parts and buffy in the inferior parts. Distribution: From Costa Rica to Southern Brazil. In the Amazon region it is only seen during seasonal migrations. Habitat: Farms, villlages, cities and open areas in general. Uses rocky places and roofs to rest. Diet: Feeds on flying insects. Reproduction: The nest is similar to the one of Progne chalibea. The white eggs (2 to 6) are incubated by the couple. Male and female share the task of feeding the brood. Natural history: The southern populations migrate northwards after br...

Physical appearence: 12cm. The upper parts are grayish with black and ferruginous stripes The chest is light brown with spots in the immature. There are yellow ribbons above the eyes and in the wings. The coloration may change when it is dirty due to contact with earth. Distribution: The Grassland Sparrow is found east of the Andes from Colombia to central Argentina but is missing from the Amazon Basin upstream from the Tapajós river. Habitat: Dry fields with grass, cerrado and crops. Diet: Feeds on grains and small insects. Reproduction: During the breeding season they live in pairs in a territory defended by the male. The nest is opened and placed on the ground. The eggs are s...

33 cm. The tail is very long. It is all black. The bill is thick and strong. The skin is also black. Male and female are similar. Distribution: From Florida (U.S.A) to Argentina. Habitat: Inhabits open landscapes with grass. Prefers moist places. Diet: Consumes arthropods, mainly grasshoppers, and small vertebrates as lizards, mice and frogs. Also eats hatchlings. Fishes in shallow water. In some seasons, mostly in the dry ones when arthropods are scarce it eats fruits and seeds. Follows cattle and tractors in order to catch insects displaced by their movements. Reproduction: The male dances around the female on the ground. It offers food as a gift for the female but sometimes sw...

35cm Similarly to other Brazilian jays, the Curl-crested jay has white lower parts and blue and black upper parts. It may be confused with the Plush-crested jay (Cyanocorax chrysops), but while the last presents the crest in the back of the head, the yellow iris and a blue patch around the eyes, the Curl-crested jay presents the crest on the forehead, the red iris and the head is entirely black. Whereas the Old World ravens are mostly black, as well as the crows, the Brazilan corvids are colorful and most of them have white lower parts. There are 6 species of jays in Brazil, all of them extremely beautiful. The Curl-crested jay is one of Brazilian’s noisiest jays. To make the noise ...

Length: 9,5cm Identification: the back is bright green, the tail and part of the wings are dark blue. The throat and the chest is sapphire-blue. The belly is white and there is a white line splitting the chest. The two sexes look alike. It is one of the main pollinators of several plant species, including some introduced ones. It is territorialist and visit the flowering patches at predictable times. It explores even the lowest flowers. This hummingbird usually explores feeders where it fights against the bananaquits ( Coereba flaveola ) and the swallow-tailed hummingbird ( Eupetomena macroura ). The bow-shaped nest usually shelters two eggs.

Physical appearance: 40 cm. The feet are red and webbed. The chest is brown, as well as the face that is a bit darker. There is a patch of iridescent feathers in the wings. When flying it shows a large white spot at the back of the wing. The male has a red beak and the female’s is blue. The Female also has white spots on the face. Distribution: From Venezuela to Argentina. Habitat: Wetlands, lakes, ponds and rivers even in polluted places. Diet: Feeds on seeds, leaves and small invertebrates. The hatchlings are goot at catching insects. Reproduction: Lays up to 14 bluish or greenish eggs. When the adult realizes the presence of a potential predator it distracts its attention...

Physical appearance: 36 cm. The legs are short and yellow. The body is predominantly grey, darker in the back. The top of the head is black. The immature is striated and brownish. Distribution: American Continent, Africa, Asia, Australia and islands in the Pacific. Habitat: Rivers, lakes and mangroves of different sizes. Diet: Aquatic insects, mollusks, amphibians, reptiles and fish. Reproduction: The nest is a platform on the top of tall trees. Lays three eggs. Natural history: Solitary and migratory. There are saw-like structures inside the beak to help holding slippery food. May be eaten by carnivorous fish such as the trahiras (Hoplias sp.) when walking on flooded land....

Physical appearance: 26 cm. The upper parts are green, somewhat yellow, barred in black. The inferior parts are buffy or white, also barred. The tail and the top of the head are black. The male has a red spot below the eye while in the female this spot is black. Distribution: From Eastern Amazon to Uruguay and Argentina. Habitat: Forest borders, gallery and secondary forests, woods and parks in cities. Diet: Feeds on ants and insect larva, mainly beetles. Also eats fruits. Reproduction: After courtship the couple builds a nest inside an old tree, sometimes palm trees and others. The nest is generally downwards, avoiding the water when it rains. Two to four eggs are laid and the ...

13,5 cm. The male’s top of the head is black with a scarlet topknot. The body is red, with the upper parts brownish red. The female does not have a topknot and the upper parts are brown. Distribution: From the Guyanas to Argentina. Habitat: Secondary forests, cerrado and farms. Diet: Feeds on seeds and insects. Reproduction: When breeding lives in pairs and the male protects the territory. Builds a cup-like nest with leaves, lichens and spider webs. Lays 3 to 5 bluish or white eggs. Both male and female feed the offspring. Natural history: The male’s topknot can only be seen when it is excited. When not breeding lives in groups, sometimes mixing with other species. In dry ...

41,5 cm. Medium size. The feet are webbed. Has a distinctive white mask. The chest and the belly are streaked with cinnamon. The wings are broad and black. The female is slightly larger than the male. Distribution: Tropical South America and Africa. Habitat: Wetlands, lakes, ponds, mostly in shallow water. Diet: It eats buds, seeds, insect larvae, crustaceans and worms. Food is filtered by its specialized beak Reproduction: Builds a nest on the ground in a hidden place. 8 to 14 eggs are laid and incubated by the couple for 27 to 30 days. Male and female take care of the brood. Natural history: Its vocalization is very typical. It is more active at twilight or at night, resting ...

60cm Identification: there are four mostly white species of egrets in Brazil, the snowy egret can be told apart by its smaller size and also for having the tip of the beak black and for having dark legs with yellow feet. Laypeople usually think this species is a young great egret, however it is technically different enough to be place in another genus. It is bit more demanding than the great egret regarding its habitat necessities, as it does not occur in polluted waters and is more strongly associated to aquatic plants such as the water lily. Its reduced size allows this bird to walk over the aquatic plants without sinking. It feeds mainly on small fishes and tadpoles. The nest is ...

35cm Identification: when seen from below its body is basically white with the tip of the wings and a region around the eyes black. There is a gray area on the upper parts of the wings. Its color pattern reminds that of some seagulls. The name in Portuguese – Gavião Peneira – means hovering hawk and it is due to the behavior of hovering before diving onto the prey. It is certainly one of the most beautiful hawks found in urban areas. It flies over open areas, pastures, crops and even on the banks of polluted streams in search for rats. This kite feeds mainly on large insects such as grasshoppers and beetles and on small rodents and lizards. The nest, made of twigs, is built on iso...

35cm Identification: the head is dark with a bege band on the eyebrows and another one on the neck. The throat is white, but unlike Falco rufigularis this ribbon is not extended up to the back of the neck. The chest is light brown with black dots, unlike Falco deiroleucus which presents this region orange. The belly is dark with white spots and there is a red patch near the tail. The tail is dark with three white bars. It is one of Brazilian commonest falcons since it inhabits open landscapes, included those disturbed by men. Feeds on small rodents and birds, reptiles and large insects. Like other falcons these are monogamous birds with fixed breeding grounds. The nest is built o...

15 cm. The body is white with a band around the eye, the wing and the tail black. Distribution: From Northeastern Brazil to São Paulo. It is currently spreading its distribution southwards. Habitat: Lives in riverbanks, muddy places near lakes and ponds. Diet: Feeds mainly on arthropods, sometimes small fruits. Reproduction: The male exhibits himself standing on the body and opening the tail and the wings. The nest is spherical with a lateral entrance. It is built on small trees above the water. The white eggs are incubated by the female. Natural history: Runs on the aquatic plants, catching insects among them. Attacks other birds that enter its territory. Some people and eve...

35 cm. The legs and the toes are long and green. Has a red shield-like structure in the forehead that is larger in the male. The neck and inferior parts are blue. The back is brown and there is a white band in the wing. The immature individuals are brown. Distribution: All over the world, except from Australia and New Zealand. Habitat: Lives in lakes, ponds and swamps, provided there is plenty of aquatic vegetation. May be found even in very polluted places and brackish water. Diet: Feeds on vegetables and aquatic insects. Usually dives to catch the food. When it does not dive it waters the food before swallowing. Reproduction: The nest is built among the aquatic vegetation. Th...