White-banded Tanager
Neothraupis fasciata
Medium-sized, strikingly-plumaged tanager resembling a shrike with its mostly gray coloration, a broad black mask, and a white shoulder patch. Occurs in savanna and grasslands with scattered trees where it can be seen in small groups and sometimes accompanying mixed-species flocks. Song is a series of high chipping notes.
Identification
The plumage of the shrike-like tanager is remarkably similar to that of several species of shrikes in the genus Lanius, but these Corvoidea are quite distantly related songbirds. Males and females of this species look alike. It has a total length of about .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}16 cm (6+1⁄4 in) and weighs 29–32 g.
Taxonomy
The shrike-like tanager was formally described in 1823 by the German naturalist Hinrich Lichtenstein under the binomial name Tanagra fasciata. The species is now the only member of the genus Neothraupis that was introduced in 1936 by the Austrian ornithologist Carl Eduard Hellmayr. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek neos meaning "new" and thraupis, the word for an unknown small bird, perhaps some form of finch. The specific epithet is from the Late Latin fasciatus meaning "banded". The shrike-like tanager is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Neothraupis fasciata
- Authority
- (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1823)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Neothraupis
Range and habitat
It is a bird native to the interior of south-central South America at elevations of 550–1,100 m (1,800–3,610 ft). It is restricted to Cerrado, woodland and shrub of central-eastern Brazil, north-eastern Paraguay and north-eastern Bolivia. It is frequently seen in Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Typically seen in pairs or small groups of up to 12 individuals, with 7 being average. Eats insects. Breeds in October and November. The deep, cup-shaped nest, typically placed in a small tree or bush, is lined with grasses. Clutch size 2–3 eggs. The pair are often helped by birds from earlier broods, which have the grey parts of the plumage partially or entirely replaced by brown (this brownish plumage sometimes mistakenly referred to as the adult female plumage).
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Great Thick-knee
Esacus recurvirostris
An odd-looking wader with a dark mask, staring pale eyes, and a large heavy bill. Flashing black-and-white wingtips, revealed in flight, recall those of lapwings. Found on the banks of flowing rivers and lakes with rocky or sandy shores. Usually seen standing still on shore, though can be quite shy, often flushing even at a distance. No similar species in its range and habitat; Beach Thick-Knee is similar, but is found on coastal beaches, mudflats, and exposed reefs. Gives clear, high-pitched “tleeeeLIK!”, often repeated when alarmed.
Nicaraguan Seed-Finch
Sporophila nuttingi
What this bird lacks in color, it makes up for with a ridiculously oversized bill. Male is all glossy black, female warm brown. Male’s bill is huge and pink, female’s is equally huge but dark gray. Larger overall size than other seed-finches and seedeaters. Could be mistaken for Thick-billed Seed-Finch but even larger bill should help with identification; also note lack of a white patch in the wing. Found in open habitats, especially fields with some scattered shrubs.
Goliath Heron
Ardea goliath
This enormous heron stands 1.5 meters tall and has a robust, dagger-like bill. The immature has rustier upperwings than the adult. Its flight is ponderous and labored. Goliath Heron inhabits large rivers, marshes, estuaries, and mangroves, hunting for large fish and other animals, stabbing them with an open bill. It has a distinct, barking “kowoork” call that can be heard from up to 2 km away. Purple Heron has similar plumage, but Goliath Heron is twice the size, has a much larger bill, and has a rufous (not blackish) top of the head.
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