ALTMay 25, 2023 - Stephan’s Dove or Stephan’s Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps stephani)
These doves are found in humid forests in parts of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. Foraging on the ground, they feed on seeds, fallen fruit, grit, and probably some insects. Breeding from January to May, they build nests of twigs on top of dead leaves and debris close to the ground. Females lay clutches of two eggs.
ALTMay 24, 2023 - Owston’s Tit (Sittiparus owstoni)
These tits are found in broadleaf forests on the southern Izu Islands in Japan. Their diet is not well studied, but probably includes acorns and ants, possibly along with other seeds, invertebrates, and berries. They build their nests from moss and plant fibers in cavities, usually in trees. Females incubate the eggs alone, but both parents feed the chicks. They are listed as Endangered by the IUCN due to population declines in their small range caused by habitat loss and possibly invasive species. Volcanic eruptions may also put them at risk of habitat degradation.
ALTMay 23, 2023 - Karoo Prinia (Prinia maculosa)
Found in southern Africa in parts of Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa, these prinias live in shrublands, savannas, forest edges, cultivated areas, and gardens. They eat small invertebrates, foraging alone, in pairs, or in family groups low in grass, shrubs, and bushes, sometimes on the ground, and in short flights. Pairs build oval-shaped nests in grass, shrubs, or small trees with males weaving the outer shell from thin green grass and females lining the inside with plant down, wool, or fur. Females incubate the eggs while males occasionally bring them food and both parents feed the chicks.
ALTMay 22, 2023 - Ashy Flycatcher (Fraseria caerulescens)
Found across sub-Saharan Africa, except much of the southwestern part of the continent, these Old World flycatchers live in forests and woodlands, often near rivers. Foraging alone, in pairs, or in small flocks, they eat insects, some berries, and occasionally geckos, hunting in short flights from exposed perches or while hovering or picking prey from leaves and bark. Pairs build bulky cup-shaped nests from moss, dry grass, matted fibers, rootlets, shredded bark, and other materials in cavities in trees, on ledges, or in hole in walls. Both parents feed the chicks.
ALTMay 21, 2023 - Sunda Laughingthrush (Garrulax palliatus)
These laughingthrushes are found in forests on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in parts of Indonesia, Brunei, and Malaysia. They eat insects, seeds, fruit, and other plant foods, foraging on the ground and in low vegetation in flocks, sometimes with other species. Breeding from March to April in Sumatra and December to March in Borneo, they build cup-shaped nests from fibers, lining them with finer materials. They are classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN due mostly to trapping for the songbird trade.
ALTMay 20, 2023 - Lineated Barbet (Psilopogon lineatus)
These barbets are found in forests in parts of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Singapore. They eat mostly fruit, as well as flower petals and nectar, spiders, insects, lizards, frogs, and the eggs and nestlings of other birds, foraging mostly in trees. Pairs excavate nests in dead or decaying tree branches, snags, or stumps, and line them with wood chips. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the chicks.
ALTMay 19, 2023 - Yellow Penduline-Tit (Anthoscopus parvulus)
Found in parts of western and central Africa, these penduline-tits live in savannas. Foraging mostly in the upper canopy in pairs or small flocks, often with other species, they feed on small insects and larvae. Only one of their nests has been described, a hanging woven pouch with a tubular entrance built near the top of a tree. They lay clutches of two eggs.
ALTMay 18, 2023 - Woodland Kingfisher (Halcyon senegalensis)
These kingfishers live in wooded areas, especially riverine forests, open woodland, and gardens in parts of central and southern Africa. They eat mainly insects and other arthropods, including scorpions, as well as fish, crustaceans, lizards, small birds and mammals, and other small vertebrates, dropping onto prey from a perch. Their nests are usually in tree cavities, often made by other birds, but sometimes in buildings, nest boxes, arboreal termite nests, or swift nests. Both parents incubate the eggs during the day, though only females incubate at night and both feed the chicks.
ALTMay 17, 2023 - Pale-blue Monarch (Hypothymis puella)
These monarchs are found in a variety of wooded habitats in parts of Indonesia. Foraging alone, in pairs, and sometimes in family groups, they catch a variety of insects in the air or in foliage. Probably breeding from June to September, they build cup-shaped nests from twigs covered with spider webs and egg cases, lined with fibers and other fine materials.
ALTMay 16, 2023 - Rusty Sparrow (Aimophila rufescens)
Found from Mexico south to Costa Rica, these sparrows live in various scrubby habitats including brushy woodlands, the edges of forests, and overgrown clearings. Foraging mostly on the ground alone or in pairs, they are thought to eat seeds and small invertebrates, though the details of their diet are not known. While not much is known about their breeding behavior, they likely build grass nests on the ground or in shrubs and lay clutches of two or three eggs.
ALTMay 15, 2023 - Glossy-backed Drongo (Dicrurus divaricatus)
Found in parts of central Africa, these drongos live in a variety of wooded habitats, including savannas and open woodlands, but not dense forests. Their diet is primarily large insects, but also sometimes includes small birds and fish and occasionally nectar. Though they usually hunt in short flights from a perch, they also forage on the ground, steal food from other birds, often by making false alarm calls, and follow ants, other birds, and large animals to capture fleeing insects. They build saucer-shaped nests from plant stems, lichen, rootlets, tendrils, spiderwebs, and other materials. Both parents feed the chicks and aggressively defend the nest from predators.
ALTMay 14, 2023 - Mangrove Swallow (Tachycineta albilinea)
These swallows are found along the coasts of Mexico and Central America in mangrove forests and other areas near water, including marshes, lakes, ponds, and rivers. They feed on flying insects, capturing them in the air while skimming over the water. Their nests are built from grass, stems, moss, and feathers in cavities in trees, dead trunks, partially submerged branches, and sometimes artificial structures. Both parents care for the chicks.