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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 ...

22 cm. The beak is strong and black. The chest and the belly are bright yellow and the back is brown. The throat is white and the head black, with a white band above the eyes. Male and female are similar. Distribution: From Texas (U.S.A) to Patagonia. Habitat: It is one of the most generalist birds. Thrives in environments as different as rocky beaches and semi-arid landscapes. It is very common in cities. Does not penetrate dense vegetation, but may be found in forests near the riverbanks or in the borders. Diet: Also very generalist in the diet, consumes mainly insects, but also fruits, learns to catch small fish and tadpoles (as from the author’s tanks), hunts hatchlings and...

91cm. The neck and the legs are thin and long. All white, but with iris, beak and legs yellow. Distribution: Throughout the world. Habitat: Lakes, rivers, ponds, reservoirs, swamps, mangroves, estuaries and even polluted rivers. Diet: Eats fishes, amphibians, insects. The author witnessed an egret catching and eating a mouse in a riverbank in Campinas-SP. Reproduction: Breeding takes place generally in the end of the dry season, when the food supply is more abundant for this species. During this period the adults have the egrets that are long feathers used in the courtship. The breeding couples gather in nesting sites that may have hundreds of individuals, sometimes mixing with o...

10,5 cm. The beak and a mask around the eye are bright red. The body is light brown, finely streaked. There may be a red region in the belly. As in other species of cage birds there is great color variation. Distribution: Originally in Africa but currently found in many places around the world. In Brazil it may be found in most of the country except from the Amazon region (where it may be found in the suburbs of big cities). Habitat: Open landscapes, fields, crops, gardens and parks. Diet: Seeds and occasionally insects. Reproduction: The nest is built by the couple in shrubs. Its walls are thick and made of grass, feathers and cotton. The entrance is hidden. Sometimes a false n...

44 cm. The tail is long and there is a topknot. The ventral region is white. The wings are dark brown with black and white streaks. Distribution: From the state of Amapá to Uruguay. Habitat: Open fields, cerrado and caating, also in landscapes modified by man. Diet: Feeds on arthropods and small vertebrates. Reproduction: The nest may be individual or collective. It is built about 5m from the ground. The female lays up to 7 eggs, but there may be more than 20 eggs in collective nests. In the collective nests there is great competition for food among the hatchlings and few them survive. Natural history: When perched it waves its tail, swinging the body in a way that some peo...

23 cm. Very similar to the great kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus), but with a larger and broader beak. Distribution: From Mexico to Argentina. Habitat: In the canopy of woods, secondary forests and open areas with tall trees. Diet: Arthropods and other small invertebrates. Sometimes fruits and small fishes. Reproduction: Builds a small nest on uncovered branches of tall trees. Lays two or three eggs. Natural history: Although it is very similar to the great kiskadee it is more dependent on trees. The vocalization is very different from the one of the kiskadee. It migrates seasonally.

18,5 cm. The body is gray, slightly blue with the inferior parts lighter. The tail and the tips of the wings are blue, somewhat green. There is a spot of this color in the shoulders. Male and female are similar. Distribution: Mideast Brazil from Maranhão to Rio Grande do Sul, also in Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Habitat: Lives on trees, either in open areas, parks or cities. Diet: Feeds on fruits, leaves, buds, nectar including from eucalyptus trees. Also catches flying insects as butterflies and termites. Reproduction: During the breeding season the male exhibits its shoulders to the female. The nest is built by the couple and is a compact ope...

18,5 cm. The body is gray, slightly blue with the inferior parts lighter. The tail and the tips of the wings are blue, somewhat green. There is a spot of this color in the shoulders. Male and female are similar. Distribution: Mideast Brazil from Maranhão to Rio Grande do Sul, also in Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Habitat: Lives on trees, either in open areas, parks or cities. Diet: Feeds on fruits, leaves, buds, nectar including from eucalyptus trees. Also catches flying insects as butterflies and termites. Reproduction: During the breeding season the male exhibits its shoulders to the female. The nest is built by the couple and is a compact open ...

There are three other very similar species from the same genus in Brazil. The females and imature individuals are nearly impossible to tell apart, as they are light brown with some darker streaks. The Saffron Finch can be distinguished from the other species for the saffron color, mostly in the breeding season. The Orange-fronted Yellow Finch ( S. columbiana) is smaller than the Saffron Finch, the Stripe-tailed Yellow Finch (S. citrina) has greenish patches on the upper parts and the Grassland Yellow Finch (S. luteola) has brownish spots even in the head. One of the countryside’s most famous birds, the Saffron Finch’s song is unique for its beaty and complexity. Unfortunately its song...

12,5 cm. The male’s upper parts are dark gray. The face and a ribbon around the neck (the collar) are black. The posterior part of the throat, the belly and a narrow band around the eye are white, sometimes buffy. The color of the beak varies individually. The female and the Young males are brown with the inferior parts lighter. Distribution: From Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul, Uruguay, Argentina to Peru. Habitat: Grasslands, crops. They sleep in tall grass and sugar cane crops were they may bend the stems with their weight. Diet: Feeds on grains. Follows the expansion of seed producing grasses, thus invading new areas as the Distrito Federal. Frequently eats arthropods such as inse...