Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Scaled Woodcreeper
Latin: Lepidocolaptes squamatus
Other: Arapaçu-escamado (Br)
Family: Furnariidae • Woodcreepers

The Scaled Woodcreeper is endemic to the southeast of Brazil. It has a characteristically strongly streaked underside and plain upperside. These individuals had plain, off-white throats.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Planalto Woodcreeper
Latin: Dendrocolaptes platyrostris
Other: Arapaçu-grande (Br)
Family: Furnariidae • Woodcreepers

The Planalto Woodcreeper is a large woodcreeper (26 cm). It has an off-white throat and black bill with light tip. The type pictured here has a darkly streaked head and finely streaked back and barred belly and vent, visible in the photo below.

The Planalto Woodcreeper lives in southeast Brazil and neighbouring regions.

The Woodcreepers have been merged from their own Dendrocolaptidae family to the Ovenbird family Furnariidae.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: White Spotted Woodpecker
Latin: Veniliornis spilogaster
Other: Picapauzinho-verde-carijó (Br)
Family: Picidae • Woodpeckers

This presumed White-spotted Woodpecker was more difficult to identify. Note spotted back and barred front.

The White-spotted Woodpecker can be found in the southeast of Brazil and Uruguay etc.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Yellow Fronted Woodpecker
Latin: Melanerpes flavifrons
Other: Benedito-de-testa-amarela (Br) • Carpintero de frente amarilla
Family: Picidae • Woodpeckers

The Yellow-fronted Woodpecker is easily identifiable in these distant shots from yellow neck and throat, combined with red chest (and crest in male), yellow above bill, yellow iris, otherwise back head and back, striped belly.

The Yellow-fronted Woodpecker is found in the southeast of Brazil and surrounding regions.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Thrush Like Woodcreeper
Latin: Dendrocincla turdina
Other: Arapaçu-liso (Br)
Family: Furnariidae • Woodcreepers

This individual was identified as a Thrush-like Woodcreeper. Quite plain, looks a bit like a Spinetail. The thrush-like Woodcreeper lives in the southeast of Brazil.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Lake Garda, Italy. May 2009

Bird name: Italian Sparrow
Latin: Passer italiae
Other: Passer hispaniolensis • Passera d'Italia (It), passero italiano • Italiensperling (De)
Family: Passeridae • Sparrows
Range: Mainland Italy, Corsica, Sicily

The Italian Sparrow is sometimes considered a subspecies of Spanish Sparrow or hybrid with House Sparrow.

The male has a full chestnut cap and white cheeks like the Spanish Sparrow but pale belly without black spotting, so unlike the Spanish Sparrow in that respect.

The female (below) looks like the female House Sparrow, but identified here by proximity to males.

Some possible photos of courtship below in “more photos”. She pecks him on the head, they both bow and display plumage.
Alternatively, It seems these may not be courtship scenes at all. Two other theories are that the female may be competing aggressively for food (I had a sandwich), which happens the during breeding season. Or she may be an invasive House Sparrow and attacking the male Italian Sparrow for territory.

These photos were taken by Lake Garda in Northern Italy, a typical location for the Italian Sparrow.

More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Florianopolis Brazil

Bird name: Brown Booby
Latin: Sula leucogaster
Other: Atobá-pardo (Br) • Alcatraz pardo (Es)
Family: Sulidae • Boobies

A few shots of Brown Boobies near the beach in Floraniopolis. They flew in from the ocean in the evening and started diving into the water in the bay pulling out fish. Soon Magnificent Frigatebirds appeared. The latter put an end to their fun, stealing the fish from their beaks and harassing them so that the Brown Boobies left.More photos...

Photo copyright: BR/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Darwin Australia

Bird name: Orange-footed Scrubfowl
Latin: Megapodius reinwardt
Other:
Family: Megapodiidae • Scrubfowl

Thanks to Balazs for passing on this photo of an Orange-footed Scrubfowl, seen in Darwin, which has found a large grub to eat.

Orange-footed Scrubfowl are mound-builders or incubator birds. As with other megapodes, they do not sit on their eggs to incubate them but bury them in a mound to keep them warm. The chick breaks out of its egg with its claws and tunnels up through the mound to the surface.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Mostardas Brazil November 2009

Bird name: Rufous Bellied Thrush
Latin: Turdus rufiventris
Other: Sabiá-laranjeira (Br)
Family: Turdidae • Thrushes

The Rufous-bellied Thrush is widespread throughout most of Brazil. Often heard, and a regular park bird.

The Rufous-bellied Thrush has an orange belly, yellow bill, yellow eye-ring, streaked throat and brown above.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ubatuba Brazil Nov 2009

Bird name: Pale Breasted Thrush
Latin: Turdus leucomelas
Other: Sabiá-barranco (Br)
Family: Turdidae • Thrushes

I think (but am not sure) these are juvenile Pale-breasted Thrushes, they might also be juvenile Creamy-bellied Thrushes.

They stayed on the ground mostly, in the shade of orchard trees, occasionally perching about a metre off the ground.

The Pale-breasted Thrush is found in the eastern parts of South America.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Brazil 2006

Bird name: Yellow Legged Thrush
Latin: Turdus flavipes
Other: Sabiá-una (Br)
Family: Turdidae • Thrushes

I think (but am not sure) this is a Yellow-legged Thrush, by black plumage, black iris (Pale-eyed Thrush has pale iris), yellow bill.

The Yellow-legged Thrush is found in the southeast of Brazil.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Cote d’Azur October 2009

Bird name: Eurasian Nuthatch
Latin: Sitta europaea
Other: Sittelle torchepot (Fr) • Kleiber (De) • Trepador azul (Es)
Family: Sittidae • Nuthatches

Eurasian Nutchatches could be seen in Parc Vaugrenier in the autumn. They have long bills and can walk upside down on tree-trunks, unlike Treecreepers.

Reddish below, grey above, light face, black eyestripe.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Ubatuba & Itaiaia November 2009

Bird name: Double Collared Seedeater
Latin: Sporophila caerulescens
Other: Coleirinho (Br) • Corbatita común (Es), Corbatita doble collar
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers, Seedeaters
Range:
Similar:

The Double-collared Seedeater is found in many habitats. It has a wide range covering much of Brazil and neighbouring countries. It looks for grass seeds and can be seen near human habitation.

The Double-collared Seedeater male is quickly recognised by its black chin and black collar which form its “double collar”. The female is plain light brown and lacks chest stripes, which distinguishes it from the Blue-black Grassquit female. There are many similar looking females though, so the one below is only presumed to be a Double-collared Seedeater from its proximity with a male.


More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ubatuba & Mostardas November 2009

Bird name: Fork Tailed Flycatcher
Latin: Tyrannus savana
Other: Tesourinha (Br) • Tijereta sabanera (Es)
Family: Tyrannidae • Kingbirds

The Fork-tailed Flycatcher is found throughout much of South America, migrating north in the austral winter.

It is immediately identifiable by its extremely long tail feathers and black cap.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ubatuba November 2009

Bird name: Masked Water Tyrant
Latin: Fluvicola nengeta
Other: Lavadeira-mascarada
Family: Tyrannidae • Tyrant Flycatchers

The Masked Water-tyrant is found on the east coast of Brazil. It has distinctive dark and white markings, including a sooty eye stripe, dark brown wings.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Velvety Black Tyrant
Latin: Knipolegus nigerrimus
Other: Maria-preta-de-garganta-vermelha (Br)
Family: Tyrannidae • Black-Tyrants

The Velvety Black-Tyrant is much slighter than the black tanagers and icterids. It has a light bill with dark tip, a dark red iris and white wing in flight (see pic below in more photos). The female (above) has a dark red throat while the male (below) is all black.

The Velvety Black-tyrant is endemic to Brazil and lives in the southeast.


More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Shiny Cowbird
Latin: Molothrus bonariensis
Other: Vira-bosta (Br) • Tordo (Es), Tordo común, Tordo renegrido
Family: Icteridae • Cowbirds

The Shiny Cowbird is one of a few entirely black birds to be found in Brazil. The photo above may be of a female - the adult male is jet black and shiny.

The Shiny Cowbird’s range covers much of Latin America and has recently extended into Chile and Florida.

It’s usually seen in groups but not always. It tends to walk around on the ground and looks more relaxed than the male Ruby-crowned Tanager. The Chopi Blackbird has a more peaked head and grooved bill than the Shiny Cowbird.

The Shiny Cowbird, not beloved by many birders, is a brood parasite, like the European Cuckoo, laying its eggs in the nests of other birds, and in some cases endangering host species survival.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Southern House Wren
Latin: Troglodytes musculus
Other: Corruíra-de-casa (Br) • Curucucha (Es) • Troglodytes aedon musculus
Family: Troglodytidae • Wrens

The Southern House Wren is found throughout Latin America. It is often viewed as a subspecies of House Wren, Troglodytes aedon, which extends throughout North America.

The House Wren is a great garden bird, with an attractive song. It is not shy and much easier to see than its European counterpart. I saw it in most habitats I visited.

More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Olive Green Tanager
Latin: Orthogonys chloricterus
Other: Catirumbava (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Olive Green Tanager is another tanager found only on the southeast coast of Brazil, generally above 600m. It is a frequent visitor to fruit feeders in Itatiaia.

The Olive-green Tanager is entirely yellowish-green underneath and olive-green above, with some dark marks, and a black bill and iris. It is a medium-sized bird, significantly larger than the Green-headed Tanager in the company of which it is often seen.

More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia & Ubatuba November 2009

Bird name: Bananaquit
Latin: Coereba flaveola
Other: Tangará (Br) • Reinita (Es)
Family: Coerebidae • Bananaquit

The Bananaquit is a small garden bird found in Brazil and most of tropical South and Central America. It feeds on nectar or even from hummingbird feeders. Also seen in Valle de Anton in Panama (not pictured).

It is recognisable by its long curved bill, yellow underside, white eyebrow strip and black eye stripe.

The nest below was in the fork of a small tree - perhaps a citrus? As you can see the entrance was in the side. The Bananaquit was bringing straw.

The taxonomy of the Bananaquit is uncertain but placed here in its own family.

More photos...