Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Lagoa do Peixe • November 2009

Bird name: Grassland Sparrow
Latin: Ammodramus humeralis
Other: Tico-tico-do-campo (Br) • Cachilo Ceja Amarilla (Es), Manimbe, Chingolo de Ceja Amarilla
Family: Emberizidae • New World Sparrows
Range: South America widespread
Similar:

The Grassland Sparrow is recognised by that yellow mark above the lores on the face. It is found throughout Brazil and much of South America.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Chapada das Guimaraes, August 2011

Bird name: Red Pileated Finch
Latin: Coryphospingus cucullatus
Other: Red-crested Finch • Brasita (Es) • Tico-tico-rei (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers etc
Range: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Guyanas, Brazil, Uruguay
Similar:

The dry scrubland, known as cerrado, on the Chapada das Guimaraes plateau was a good place to see the Red-pileated Finch in late August. I saw them just after dawn on a couple of occasions.

The male Red Pileated Finch (or Red-crested Finch) is bright red, with white eye-ring and darker wings and tail. The large crest was not raised in display when I saw them. The female (below) is duller but still has the white eye-ring.

Below, female Red Pileated Finch, Chapada das Guimaraes, Brazil
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Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Brazil • 2011

Bird name: Black Faced Tanager
Latin: Schistochlamys melanopis
Other: Sanhaçu-de-coleira (Br) • Frutero cara negra, chovy estero, pizarrita sabanera (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyanas, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia, Paraguay
Similar:

The Black-faced Tanager lives in dry habitats - savanna, cerrado etc. These were seen in Chapada das Guimaraes.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Brazil, March.

Bird name: Shrike Like Tanager
Latin: Neothraupis fasciata
Other: White-banded Tanager (old) • Cigarra-do-tempo (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: NE Paraguay, NE Bolivia, Brazil cerrado
Similar: White-rumped Tanager, Black-faced Tanager

The Shrike-like Tanager adult (below) is grey and white with black face. White wing band. Juveniles (above and further below) are browner. Shrike-like Tanagers were one of the most common tanagers in the very dry cerrado, which was drier than the Sahara when I visited, at Chapada das Guimaraes.

Below, an adult Shrike-like Tanager in Chapada das Guimaraes, Brazil, August.
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Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Mato Gross, Brazil, March.

Bird name: White Rumped Tanager
Latin: Cypsnagra hirundinacea
Other: Bandoleta (Es)(Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Brazil, Bolivia, Suriname, Panama
Similar: Shrike-like Tanager juvenile

The White-rumped Tanager was seen on several occasions in cerrado at Chapada das Guimaraes, Brazil.

The adult (above) White-rumped Tanager has a dark orange throat, is light below, dark above, with two white wing marks and white rump. The juvenile (below) is browner, with lighter throat and more colour.

Eats insects mostly.

Below, juvenile White Rumped Tanager, Chapada das Guimaraes, Brazil
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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Chapada, Brazil • Aug 2011

Bird name: Curl Crested Jay
Latin: Cyanocorax cristatellus
Other: Gralha-do-campo (Br) • Urraca de cresta rizada (Es)
Family: Corvidae • Crows, Jays
Range: Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia - caatinga, cerrado
Similar:

I saw Curl Crested Jays on the edge of the cerrado, near buildings, on the Chapada das Guimaraes plateau. Unmistakable by its crest and loud call. Also seen flying across the cerrado in pairs.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Pantanal, Brazil • Aug 2011

Bird name: Chestnut Eared Aracari
Latin: Pteroglossus castano
Other: Araçari-de-pescoço-vermelho (Br) • Tucanillo (Es)
Family: Ramphastidae • Toucans, Aracaris
Range: W Amazonia to SE Brazil
Similar: Many-banded Aracari

The Chestnut-eared Aracari was the most frequently seen of the toucan family, on my recent trip to Mato Grosso. In the Pantanal I saw them at Curicaca Lodge and Pouso Alegre, then again in Chapada das Guimaraes and Alta Floresta. In the Pantanal it seemed to be the only Aracari in its range.

The Chestnut-eared Aracari head colour ranges from black to chestnut, though usually at least the side of the head is chestnut coloured. The white iris is diagnostic. In Brazil, only the Many-banded Aracari also has light irises, but it only lives in the far north-west, near Ecuador, it lacks the chestnut head colouring and black stripe on upper mandible, and has additional black markings to chest.

The upper bill of the Chestnut-eared Aracari is serrated - the dark parts look like they wear away leaving the white parts as teeth.

Below, close-up of Chestnut-eared Aracari, Pantanal, Brazil • Aug 2011
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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Chapada, Brazil • 2011

Bird name: Channel Billed Toucan
Latin: Ramphastos vitellinus
Other: Tucano-de-bico-preto (Br)• tucán de pico acanalado (Es)
Family: Ramphastidae • Toucans
Range: Amazonia, E, SE Brazil
Similar: White-throated Toucan

These Channel-billed Toucans were identified as such by the guides at Chapada das Guimaraes, Mato Grosso, and Rio Azul Lodge, Para, in Brazil.

The main distinguishing feature between these Channel-billed Toucans and the local subspecies of White-throated Toucan is the colour of the base of the lower mandible: the Channel-billed Toucan is yellow on both upper and lower mandible, with a small patch of blue along the bottom edge of the base of the upper mandible, whereas the White-throated Toucan has blue on the lower mandible.

However, there are several subspecies …More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Upper Napo, Ecuador, Mar 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Lettered Aracari
Latin: Pteroglossus inscriptus
Other: Arasari Letreado (Es), Araçari-letrado (Br)
Family: Ramphastidae • Toucans, Aracaris
Range: W, S Amazonia including east Ecuador, Brazil
Similar:

Lettered Aracari were seen perching high up, on several occasions, in the Upper Napo region of Ecuadorian Amazonia. They are so named because of the inky markings on their upper bill. Like many other aracaris they often sit perched with a small fruit in their bills. Attractive birds and not uncommon.

Bill markings vary widely from individual to individual, some with few thick black lines, others with many thinner lines. The Ecuadorian subspecies pictured above is Pteroglossus inscriptus humboldti, which has a completely black lower bill.

The nominate subspecies, pictured below, lives in Brazil east of the Rio Madeira tributary of the Amazon, has much yellow on the lower bill, a black mark at base of lower mandible and black at tip.

Below, the Brazilian subspecies in flight. Bill mostly yellow. Para, Brazil, September.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Pantanal • August 2011

Bird name: Burrowing Owl
Latin: Athene cunicularia
Other: (Es) • Coruja-buraqueira (Br)
Family: Strigidae • Owls
Range: North, Central and South America - from Canada to Argentina
Similar:

The small Burrowing Owl is a photographer’s friend - it stands peched in the open during broad daylight. It does hunt at night but is also often active during the day.

I regularly saw Burrowing Owls in open country throughout Brazil - farmland or dry scrub is typical habitat. Often there seemed to be groups, perhaps families or two pairs.

This small terrestrial owl lives in burrows in the ground, and often stands on a mound by the entrance to its burrow.

In Brazil, the Burrowing Owl has bright yellow irises and a white brow.

Directly below, a Burrowing Owl at Rio Clarinho Lodge, Pantanal, Brazil. August 2011.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Lagoa do Peixe, Brazil • Nov 2009

Bird name: Roadside Hawk
Latin: Buteo magnirostris
Other: Gavião-carijó (Br) • Gavilán pollero (Es), Aguilucho de ala rojiza, Taguato común
Family: Accipitridae • Hawks, Birds of Prey
Range: Latin America, Mexico to Argentina, incl Brazil
Similar:

The Roadside Hawk has a dark head with pale irises and usually pale barred chest and underwings. Topside of wings are dark, with a rufous wing patch on primaries. This rufous patch, usually just visible on perched birds, is diagnostic for Roadside Hawk.

The Roadside Hawk is typically the most frequently seen bird of prey when birding in Latin America, so it is a good bird to learn to identify.

Tail has thick brown and white horizontal stripes. Bill base is yellowish with dark tip and perhaps some light blue in the middle.

There are several subspecies and morphs, where dark brown is replaced by grey. Upper chest can be dark (Panama) or vertically striped (Brazil).

In the Pantanal in August I saw Roadside Hawks on most days - near roads, rivers and in forest. Near Mindo, Ecuador, in April, it was also the most common and visible bird of prey.

Below, Roadside Hawk mobbed in El Valle, Panama, May 2010. Dark throat and chest.


Below, a pair of Roadside Hawks in Mindo, Ecuador, April 2011. Yellow irises, orange ceres, grey throat and chest, rufous primaries just visible in perched birds. Thin white barring lines on underside.

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