News - March 2013

March 07, 2013 19:58

Cinnamon Warbling-Finch

Poospiza ornata

28-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rustica

24-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Spectauclar turn of the head to catch the prey

Blue-and-white Swallow

Pygochelidon cyanoleuca

24-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

White-winged Becard

Pachyramphus polychopterus

28-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Female with food for the chicks

28-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Calico Flower
Aristolochia elegans

Brown-chested Martin

Progne tapera

29-03-13 © Claudia y Tito Di Mauro

Another year on their way back north and the antenna as their usual meeting point

Nenday Parakeet

Aratinga nenday

29-03-13 © Claudia y Tito Di Mauro

A big flock of some 200 individuals moving from Viamonte to Brasil. Impossible to get a photo of them all

Tropical Kingbird

Tyrannus melancholicus

29-03-13 © Claudia y Tito Di Mauro

Saffron Finch

Sicalis flaveola

29-03-13 © Claudia y Tito Di Mauro

White-lined Tanager

Tachyphonus rufus

29-03-13 © Claudia y Tito Di Mauro

White-lined Tanager

Tachyphonus rufus

29-03-13 © Claudia y Tito Di Mauro

Swainson's Flycatcher

Myiarchus swainsoni

23-03-13 © Pablo Mosto

Streaked Flycatcher

Myiodynastes maculatus

23-03-13 © Pablo Mosto

Changes in "The Cast" The Cast has been updated with the changes published by the SACC (South American Classification Committee) in the last version dating December 7th, 2012.

I draw the attention to some of them. Psittacids (parrots) have ousted Picids (woodpeckers) from the last position within Non Passeriformes. Many embericids have joined the Thraupids to the extent that there are only two bird species left (Rufous-collared Sparrow and Yellow-striped Brush-Finch). A new family Tityridae has been created. I want to make clear that Saltators still remain within the Family Cardinalidae though they have been removed from it. SACC has provisionally placed them within the group Insertae Sedis (of uncertain placement) till their new relocation is defined.

Especie nueva

Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet

Phylloscartes ventralis

24-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Vermilion Flycatcher

Pyrocephalus rubinus

24-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Bare-faced Ibis

Phimosus infuscatus

24-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Chimango Caracara

Milvago chimango

24-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Pampas cavy

Cavia aperea

24-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Painted turtle

Trachemys dorbigni

24-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Sayaca Tanager

Thraupis sayaca

30-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Roadside Hawk

Rupornis magnirostris

30-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Nenday Parakeet

Aratinga nenday

24-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Glittering-bellied Emerald

Chlorostilbon lucidus

24-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Picui Ground Dove

Columbina picui

24-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

White-winged Becard

Pachyramphus polychopterus

01-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Rufous Hornero

Furnarius rufus

24-03-13 © J. Simón Tagtachian

White-tipped Plantcutter

Phytotoma rutila

21-03-13 © Claudia y Diego Bastías

Grey-throated Warbling-Finch

Poospiza cabanisi

16-03-13 © Pablo Serur

Hooded Siskin

Spinus magellanicus

09-03-13 © Pablo Serur

Tropical Kingbird

Tyrannus melancholicus

16-03-13 © Pablo Serur

Maguari Stork

Ciconia maguari

01-03-13 © Francisco González Táboas

On Saturday, 16th a flock of storks was observed from inside the reserve by Francisco who estimated " about 50 o 60 individuals flying in circles above the Covimet area or far south". From the garden of "Ernesto de la Cárcova" Museum, outside the reserve, María Claudia, also captured images of a flock and adds that "they were heading north from Costanera Sur". Photos were taken with some time apart. They must be different flocks. There are too many individuals with black wings. They are still immature birds.

01-03-13 © María Claudia Kleid

Ultramarine Grosbeak

Cyanoloxia brissonii

01-03-13 © Raj Phukan

White-tipped Plantcutter

Phytotoma rutila

16-03-13 © Pablo Mosto

Harris's Hawk

Parabuteo unicinctus

16-03-13 © Pablo Mosto

White-crested Tyrannulet

Serpophaga subcristata

16-03-13 © Pablo Mosto

White-winged Becard

Pachyramphus polychopterus

16-03-13 © Pablo Mosto

The White-winged Becard has never fit to the letter within a family. First it was included in the Cotingidae Family. Then it was moved to the Tyrannid Family since the morphology of the syrinx (vocal organ) was much more similar to that of tyrannids'. Even then this did not satisfy taxonomists. Recent morphological and genetic studies have shown a common thread for this and almost other 30 bird species which were in the same situation. All of them have been grouped in a new family: Tityridae. Only eight of the 30 bird species are represented in Argentina. and only three of them have photographic records on this site. They are: White-winged Becard Pachyramphus polychopterus frequent summer visitor and breeder, illustrated in the photo by a male, the Green-backed Becard
Pachyramphus viridis and White-naped Xenopsaris Xenopsaris albinucha , both with few records.

Double-collared Seedeater

Sporophila caerulescens

05-03-13 © Pablo Serur

The upper part of the eye of this fledling is swollen. Most certainly it has been attacked by a virus or a mite etc., but it is healthy enough to exhibit the typical food solicitation display to call its mother's attention. It is attentively following her movements, ready to open the bill and increasingly flapping its wings as the adult gets near. The delivered food may be Guinea grass seeds, their favourite grass

Warbling Doradito

Pseudocolopteryx flaviventris

09-03-13 © Pablo Serur

Snail Kite

Rostrhamus sociabilis

11-02-13 © Pablo Serur

White-banded Mockingbird

Mimus triurus

First record of the season

Children and grown-ups: Everybody is having a bath

Double-collared Seedeater

Sporophila caerulescens

Rufous-collared Sparrow

Zonotrichia capensis

Masked Yellowthroat

Geothlypis aequinoctialis

Streaked Flycatcher

Myiodynastes maculatus

Parasitism: greyish baywing - screaming cowbird

Greyish Baywing

Agelaioides badius

A juvenile of Screaming Cowbird on top and a Bay-winged Cowbird, below. The Screaming Cowbird parasitizes almost exclusively the Bay-winged Cowbird. The juveniles of these two species are quite alike till the Screaming Cowbird acquires black spots. On the wing the typical brown coloruing of the greyish baywing can be seen.

Screaming Cowbird

Molothrus rufoaxillaris

Juvenile screaming cowbird

White-winged Becard

Pachyramphus polychopterus

Streaked Flycatcher

Myiodynastes maculatus

Two summer visitors which breed in the reserve, though this season there were no photographic records of the reproduction of the streaked flycatcher

Juveniles

Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch

Poospiza nigrorufa

Red-crested Cardinal

Paroaria coronata

The crest has started to change colour

Yellow-billed Cardinal

Paroaria capitata

First red feathers on the head.

Hooded Siskin

Spinus magellanicus

Greyish Baywing

Agelaioides badius

Interested in the contents of the rucksack

Consequences of March 2nd Storm

We can see how the wind broke this
Tipuana tipu's branch which is at the beginning of the Viamonte Canal and it was not the only one. © Carlos Gonzalez Ledo