Laboratório de Tecnologia Educacional BIBLIOTECA DIGITAL               DE CIÊNCIAS

Scalar image showing the condensation of the DNA since the chromosome stage passing through chromatin level which represents the DNA rolled in histonas, until the double ribbon of DNA

White-spotted Woodpecker 18cm. Identification: it is a small woodpecker with drab colors. The body is brown, heavily spotted and barred in darker shades of brown and with some white spots below. The male has reddish regions in the head. Very little is known about this woodpecker, probably due to its inconspicuous colors and behavior. It lives in areas with plenty of trees as parks, woods and secondary forests. This woodpecker occurs mainly in the medium and higher forest levels, rarely coming to the ground. Like other woodpeckers it feeds on insects it collects from tree trunks and also on berries.

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 ...

16 cm. The iris and a mask in the face are red. The top of the head and the wings are ferruginous. The sides of the head are gray and the belly brown. In some regions there may be yellow areas in the chest and throat Distribution: From Mexico to Argentina. Habitat: Forest borders, secondary and gallery forests, cerrado, caatinga, parks and gardens, usually in the canopy. Diet: Insects, their larvae and fruits Reproduction: The female builds most of the nest with grass. The nest is a deep open basket covered with moss and attached to the tree with spider webs. Male and female take turns to incubate the eggs and feed the offspring (2 or 3).

16cm Identification: the genus Elaenia is well known among the ornithologists for being one of the most difficult groups when it comes to species identification. Nevertheless Elaenia flavogaster is the easiest species to be identified, first for its yellow belly, second for the crest on the head (not always visible), third for the absence of white patches on the face and crest and last for its conspicuous behavior. It is more easily heard than seen and its song reminds the one of the kiskadee. It inhabits parks, backyards, coffee crops and secondary forest edges. The yellow bellied elaenia spends most of its time in the medium height trees and shrubs. Feeds mainly on insects and be...

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.

13,5cm The most distinguishing features of this species are the yellowish-orange head and the grayish-green body. This shades of color may vary depending on the subspecies, given that this bird is distributed thoughout the tropical region South to the Amazon river and East to the Andes. There is also a curiously isolated population in the Orinoco river basin. It lives in secondary forest, forest edges and even in cities with plenty of trees. Spends most of its time in the canopy, rarely coming to the ground. This bird moves in a very typical way, climbing the branches in a fast zig-zag, up to the tip and then letting itself fall onto the base of the next branch. It feeds mainly on s...

60 cm. The tail is very long. The general color is reddish brown. The tail feathers are pale in their tips and in the inferior side. The head has a lighter coloration. The chest is gray. The young individuals have shorter tails. Distribution: From Mexico to Argentina. Habitat: Lives in the canopy of secondary forests, cerrado and urban areas with plenty of trees. Diet: Feeds on grasshoppers, bugs, caterpillars, spiders, etc. Also feeds on small vertebrates as treefrogs. Reproduction: In the breeding season the male sings restlessly 96 times a minute. Before mating gives the female a caterpillar. The nest looks like a frying pan made of loosely crossed branches and is placed in a tall...

10 cm. It is very small, smaller than a sparrow. The feet are relatively big. The back and wings are brown and the ventral part white barred in black. The forehead of the male is red, while the female’s is black with white dots. In the immature the head is all brown. Can be told apart from the White-Barred Piculet ( Picumnus cirratus ) for having an ochraceous region around the neck and for being darker, mainly on the upper parts. Distribution: Southeastern Brazil and spread southwards up to Argentina. Habitat: Forest edges, gallery and secondary forests, woods, parks and gardens in big cities. Diet: Feeds mainly on ants larvae and pupae, but also on other insects. Reproduction: ...

36 cm. The legs and the beak are yellow. The tail is short and the wings are broad, with a somewhat rectangular shape when flying. The chest is light brown streaked in different colors and the upper parts are in shades of gray. The immature is brown and striated. The female is slightly larger than the male. Distribution: From Mexico to Argentina. Habitat: Inhabits cerrado, gallery and secondary forests, fields, farms and cities. Diet: Big insects, amphibians, small lizards , mammals and birds. Sometimes hunts perched bats. May follow groups of coatis or monkeys, catching animals displaced by their movements. Reproduction: The nest is a platform built on the top of tall trees....

11 cm. The body of the male is dark gray in the upper parts, with the face and anterior part of the throat black. The posterior part of the throat and the belly are white, as well as the spots on the sides of the head. The female is brown with the belly lighter. It is thinner than the female of the double collar seedeater Sporophila caerulescens, the tail is longer, the beak smaller with the inferior part buffy. The young individuals are also brown. Distribution: From Guianas to Argentina and Paraguay. In Brazil from the north to São Paulo, Mato Grosso and Goiás. Habitat: Grasslands, open fields, crops and secondary forest borders. Diet: Grains. Reproduction: The couple lives is...

15 cm. The male is dark grey with the top of the head black. There are white spots in the tip of the tail’s feathers and in the wings, in a pattern that is similar to other antshrikes. The female is brown. Distribution: From Peru and Bolivia to Uruguay. Absent in most of the Amazon. Habitat: Mostly in Forest borders, gallery and secondary forests. Diet: Arthropods. Beats the wings to shake the foliage, catching the insects that are scared. Reproduction: The male offers the female some food before mating. The couple builds a nest with stems and moss. The female lays three white eggs with red dots. Generally the male incubates during the day and the female in the night. The paren...

23cm. The beak is dark, the wings ferruginous and the throat from white to light brown with faint streaks. The inferior parts are pale, sometimes white. Distribution: From Venezuela to Argentina and Paraguay. Mideast and South of Brazil. Habitat: Secondary forests, woods, gallery forests and cities, provided there are enough trees. Diet: Feeds on fruits, seeds, arthropods and earthworms. Reproduction: The female builds the nest with sticks and mud. It is usually placed in a palm tree or on walls. The male helps feeding the brood (generally three). Natural history: The name “sabiá” in Portuguese comes from Tupi (an indian language) and means “the one who prays” and is related...

24cm. Identification: it is the only Brazilian thrush with reddish belly. It is the Brazilian Symbol Bird and this title has recently been given for its strong presence in the country’s popular culture, especially in poetry and music. Although it is distributed throughout Brazil (except from the Amazon region ) it is more common near the coastline as it prefers moist environments. This thrush lives in farms, forest edges and is especially common in urban parks, being one of the most typical birds in some of Southeastern Brazil largest cities. The very beautiful song is very variable, even at the individual level.The real song can only be heard in the spring, the breeding season when th...