21-6-2016 BIOPARC,VALENCIA - FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCK (Dendrocygna bicolor)

The fulvous whistling duck or fulvous tree duck (Dendrocygna bicolor ) is a species of whistling duck that breeds across the world's tropical regions in much of Mexico and South America, the West Indies, the southern United States, sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian subcontinent. It has plumage that is mainly reddish brown, long legs and a long grey bill, and shows a distinctive white band across its black tail in flight. Like other members of its ancient lineage, it has a whistling call which is given in flight or on the ground. Its preferred habitat consists of wetlands with plentiful vegetation, including shallow lakes and paddy fields.The nest, built from plant material and unlined, is placed among dense vegetation or in a tree hole. The typical clutch is around ten whitish eggs. The breeding adults, which pair for life, take turns to incubate, and the eggs hatch in 24–29 days. The downy grey ducklings leave the nest within a day or so of hatching, but the parents continue to protect them until they fledge around nine weeks later.

The fulvous whistling duck feeds in wetlands by day or night on seeds and other parts of plants. It is sometimes regarded as a pest of rice cultivation, and is also shot for food in parts of its range. Despite hunting, poisoning by pesticides and natural predation by mammals, birds, and reptiles, the large numbers and huge range of this duck mean that it is classified as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The fulvous whistling duck is 45–53 cm (18–21 in) long; the male weighs 748–1,050 g (26.4–37.0 oz), and the female averages marginally lighter at 712–1,000 g (25.1–35.3 oz). The wingspan ranges from 85 to 93 cm.

It is a long-legged duck, mainly different shades of brown; head, neck and breast are particularly rich buff (fulvous) with a darker back. The mantle is more darker shade of brown with buff-tipped feathers, the flight feathers and tail are dark brown, and a dark brown to black stripe runs through the center of the crown down the back of the neck to the base of the mantle. It has whitish stripes on its flanks, a long grey bill and grey legs. In flight, the wings are brown above and black below, with no white markings, and a white crescent on the rump contrasts with the black tail. All plumages are fairly similar, but the female is slightly smaller and duller-plumaged than the male. The juvenile has paler underparts, and appears generally duller, especially on the flanks. There is a complete wing moult after breeding, and birds then seek the cover of dense wetland vegetation while they are flightless. Body feathers may be moulted throughout the year; each feather is replaced only once annually.

These are noisy birds with a clear whistling kee-wee-ooo call given on the ground or in flight, frequently heard at night. Quarrelling birds also have a harsh repeated kee. In flight, the beating wings produce a dull sound. The calls of males and females show differences in structure and an acoustic analysis on 59 captive birds demonstrated 100% accuracy in sexing when compared with molecular methods.

Adult birds in Asia can be confused with the similar lesser whistling duck, which is smaller, has a blackish crown and lacks an obvious dark stripe down the back of the neck. Juvenile fulvous whistling ducks are very like young lesser whistling ducks, but the crown colour is still a distinction. Juvenile comb ducks are bulkier than whistling ducks and have a dark cap to the head. In South America and Africa, juvenile white-faced whistling ducks are separable from fulvous by their dark crowns, barred flanks and chestnut breasts.

The fulvous whistling duck has a very large range extending across four continents. It breeds in lowland South America from northern Argentina to Colombia and then up to the southern US and the West Indies. It is found in a broad belt across sub-Saharan Africa and down the east of the continent to South Africa and Madagascar. The Indian subcontinent is the Asian stronghold. It undertakes seasonal movements in response to the availability of water and food. African birds move southwards in the southern summer to breed and return north in the winter, and Asian populations are highly nomadic due to the variability of rainfall. This species has strong colonising tendencies, having expanded its range in Mexico, the US and the West Indies in recent decades with northerly range expansions into California in late 19th century and rice-growing regions of the U.S. Gulf Coastal Plain in the early to mid-20th century, given its affinity for rice-growing areas. Breeding in the northern American region is restricted to the Gulf Coastal Plain of Texas and Louisiana and localities in southern California and south- and east-central Florida. Observations of the bird outside the nesting season, especially since the 1950s have been recorded in temperate regions as far north as the Mississippi River Basin, eastern Great Lakes region, and along the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts right up to southern Canada. Wandering birds can turn up far beyond the normal range, sometimes staying to nest, as in Morocco, Peru and Hawaii.

The fulvous whistling duck is found in lowland marshes and swamps in open, rice fields, flat country, and it avoids wooded areas. It is not normally a mountain species, breeding in Venezuela, for example, only up 300 m (980 ft), but the single Peruvian breeding record was at 4,080 m (13,390 ft).

11-6-2016 RIBESALBES, VALENCIA - COMMON BLUE DAMSELFLY (Enallagma cyathigerum)

Enallagma cyathigerum (common blue damselfly, common bluet, or northern bluet) is a species found mainly between latitudes 40°N and 72°N; It is widely distributed in the Palearctic, and the Nearctic species Enallagma annexum was at one time considered to be synonymous with it. The species can reach a length of 32 to 35 mm (1.3 to 1.4 in). It is common in many different countries including Russia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the United States of America, and South Korea. Damselflies are an important link between the health of the aquatic ecosystem and its response to climate change.

12-6-2016 MONTE CORONA, ADOR - MEDITERRANEAN SPOTTED CHAFER (Oxythyrea funesta)

Oxythyrea funesta is a phytophagous beetle species belonging to the family Cetoniidae, subfamily Cetoniinae.

Common name “White spotted rose beetle”.

This beetle is present in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm, and in the Near East.

Larvae are up to 30 mm long, they feed on plant roots and can remain until next spring in the soil.

The adults appear early in the spring, they grow up to 8–12 millimetres (0.31–0.47 in) and can mostly be encountered from May through July. They are considered an insect pest that do not just feed on pollen, but rode the floral organs, especially damaging light in color buds and flowers.

Their colour is black, more or less bronzed. Most of the specimens show six white spots in two longitudinal rows on the pronotum and many others on the elytra. They are completely covered with white pubescence (easily visible in profile). Older specimens usually have no hairs, as they are rubbed off with time.

21-6-2016 BIOPARC,VALENCIA - EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (MALE) (Turdus merula)

The Common blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush. It is also called the Eurasian blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds), or simply the blackbird where this does not lead to confusion with a similar-looking local species. This common and conspicuous species has given rise to a number of literary and cultural references, frequently related to its song.

Population size

162-492 Mlnlnn

Life Span

2.4-21 years

Weight

80-125

goz

g oz 

Length

23.5-29

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

34-38

cminch

The adult male has glossy black plumage, blackish-brown legs, a yellow eye ring, and an orange-yellow bill. The bill darkens somewhat in winter. The adult female is sooty-brown with a dull yellowish-brownish bill, a brownish-white throat, and some weak mottling on the breast. The juvenile is similar to the female but has pale spots on the upperparts, and the very young juvenile also has a speckled breast. Young birds vary in the shade of brown, with darker birds presumably males. The first-year male resembles the adult male but has a dark bill and weaker eye ring, and its folded wing is brown, rather than black like the body plumage.

21-6-2016 BIOPARC,VALENCIA - BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica)

Swallows (Hirundo rustica) are remarkable long-distance migrants, flying thousands of miles between their breeding grounds in the UK and their wintering areas in Africa. They undertake this journey twice a year and average 200 miles a day.

Swallows are known for their impressive aerial acrobatics, darting and swooping through the air to catch flying insects. Their agile flight patterns are a key part of their hunting strategy. Swallows can reach impressive speeds during flight, often flying at around 25-30 mph and capable of reaching even higher speeds when pursuing prey or avoiding predators.

Swallows build cup-shaped nests using mud and straw, which they attach to structures like buildings, bridges, and eaves. The nest is lined with grasses and feathers to soften the inside. Swallows often return to the same nesting sites year after year. Research has shown that swallows prefer to nest near areas with high human activity, which is thought to be due to some kind of protection we provide from predators!

During courtship, male swallows will sing enthusiastically to attract a female, and then lead them towards good nesting spots, or an old nest in their territory. Once at the nesting site, they will resume singing and quite often use a type of ‘enticement’ call to attract females. Male swallows mimic the call of a nestling, and this is thought to make females respond positively as they would when caring for nestlings. 

21-6-2016 BIOPARC,VALENCIA - AFRICAN SPOONBILL (Platalea alba)

The African spoonbill is a long-legged wading bird that is almost unmistakable through most of its range. During the breeding season, the bird is all white except for its red legs and face and long grey spatulate bill. Immature birds lack the red face and have a yellow bill. Unlike herons, spoonbills fly with their necks outstretched.

African spoonbills are widespread across sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar, including Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. They live in marshy wetlands with some open shallow water; these include river banks, lake shores, marshes, flood plains, reservoirs, and sometimes coastal lagoons and estuaries.

African spoonbills are social birds that are active during the day. Outside of the breeding season, they can be found singly, in pairs, or in small groups. These birds spend most of their time walking slowly in shallow water searching for food. They fish using their open bill to catch prey items by swinging it from side-to-side in the water. The moment any small aquatic creature touches the inside of the bill it is snapped shut. Long legs and thin, pointed toes enable them to walk easily through varying depths of water. When not foraging African spoonbills rest along the shores, often in groups; they are usually silent and only when alarmed produce loud grunts.

African spoonbills are monogamous and form pairs, however, some males may attempt to mate with more than one female during the breeding season (polygynous behavior). The birds begin breeding in the winter, which lasts until spring. They nest in colonies in trees or reedbeds. Their nest is built from sticks and reeds and lined with leaves. The female lays 3 to 5 eggs, usually during the months of April or May. The eggs are incubated by both parents for up to 29 days. Upon hatching the chicks are cared for by both parents for around 20 to 30 days and are ready to leave the nest soon afterward. They begin flying after another 4 weeks.

Population size

7,300-73,000

Life Span

15-30 years

Weight

1.3-2

kglbs

kg lbs 

Height

90

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

120-135

cminch

20-6-2016 MONTE CORONA, ADOR - WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba)

The white wagtail (Motacilla alba) is a small passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which also includes pipits and longclaws. The species breeds in much of Europe and the Asian Palearctic and parts of North Africa. It has a toehold in Alaska as a scarce breeder. It is resident in the mildest parts of its range, but otherwise migrates to Africa. In Ireland and Great Britain, the darker subspecies, the pied wagtail or water wagtail (M. a. yarrellii) predominates; this is also called in Ireland willie wagtail, not to be confused with the Australian species Rhipidura leucophrys which bears the same common name. In total, there are between 9 and 11 subspecies of M. alba.

The white wagtail is an insectivorous bird of open country, often near habitation and water. It prefers bare areas for feeding, where it can see and pursue its prey. In urban areas it has adapted to foraging on paved areas such as car parks. It nests in crevices in stone walls and similar natural and human-made structures.

It is the national bird of Latvia and has featured on the stamps of several countries. Though it is 'of least concern', there are several threats against it, like being kept as pets and being used as food.

20-6-2016 MONTE CORONA, ADOR - PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY (Vanessa cardui)

Vanessa cardui is the most widespread of all butterfly species. It is commonly called the painted lady, or formerly in North America the cosmopolitan.

V. cardui occurs in any temperate zone, including mountains in the tropics. The species is resident only in warmer areas, but migrates in spring, and sometimes again in autumn. It migrates from North Africa and the Mediterranean to Britain and Europe in May and June, occasionally reaching Iceland, and from the Red Sea basin, via Israel and Cyprus, to Turkey in March and April. The occasional autumn migration made by V. cardui is likely for the inspection of resource changes; it consists of a round trip from Europe to Africa.

For decades, naturalists have debated whether the offspring of these immigrants ever make a southwards return migration. Research suggests that British painted ladies do undertake an autumn migration, making 14,500 km (9,000 mi) round trip from tropical Africa to the Arctic Circle in a series of steps by up to six successive generations. The Radar Entomology Unit at Rothamsted Research provided evidence that autumn migrations take place at high altitude, which explains why these migrations are seldom witnessed. In recent years, thanks to the activity of The Worldwide Painted Lady Migration citizen science project, led by the Barcelona-based Institute of Evolutionary Biology (Catalan: Institut de Biologia Evolutiva), the huge range of migration has begun to be revealed. For example, some butterflies migrated from Iceland to the Sahara desert, and even further south.

V. cardui is known for its distinct migratory behaviour. In California, they are usually seen flying from north to north-west. These migrations appear to be partially initiated by heavy winter rains in the desert where rainfall controls the growth of larval food plants. In March 2019, after heavy rain produced an abundance of vegetation in the deserts, Southern California saw these butterflies migrating by the millions across the state.

Similarly, heavier than usual rain during the 2018-2019 winter seems to have been the cause of the extraordinarily large migration observed in Israel at the end of March, estimated at a billion individual butterflies. Painted lady migration patterns are highly erratic and they do not migrate every year.

 Some evidence suggests that global climatic events, such as el Niño, may affect the migratory behaviour of the painted lady butterflies, causing large-scale migrations. The first noticeable wave of migration in eastern Ukraine was noted in the 20s of April 2019. From May 15, numbers began to grow and it was possible to observe hundreds of this species in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine, including in the city streets of Kharkiv.

Based on experimental data, the painted lady's migration pattern in northern Europe apparently does not follow a strict north-west heading. The range of headings suggests that migrating butterflies may adjust their migration patterns in response to local topographical features and weather, such as strong wind patterns. Laboratory-raised autumn-generation painted lady butterflies were able to distinguish a southern orientation for a return migration path. According to the same laboratory-based study, when butterflies were isolated from the sun, they were unable to orient themselves in a specific direction, opposed to those that did have access to the sun. This suggests that V. cardui requires a direct view of the sky, implying the use of a solar compass to orient its migratory direction and maintain a straight flight path.

15-6-2016 REAL DE GANDIA, VALENCIA - SCOLIID WASP (Family Scoliidae)

The Scoliidae, the scoliid wasps, are a family of wasps comprising about 560 species worldwide. They tend to be black, often marked with yellow or orange, and their wing tips are distinctively corrugated. Males are more slender and elongated than females, with significantly longer antennae, but the sexual dimorphism is not as apparent as in many of the Tiphiidae and Thynnidae.

Scoliid wasps are solitary parasitoids of scarab beetle larvae. Female scoliids burrow into the ground in search of these larvae and then use their sting to paralyze them. They sometimes excavate a chamber and move the paralyzed beetle larva into it before depositing an egg. Scoliid wasps act as important biocontrol agents, as many of the beetles they parasitize are pests, including the Japanese beetle. Male scoliids patrol territories, ready to mate with females emerging from the ground. Adult wasps may be minor pollinators of some plants and can be found on many wildflowers in the late summer. 

Scoliidae has at least one species known to engage in pseudocopulation with an orchid. Flowers of the orchid Bipinnula penicillata in subtropical South America resemble females of Pygodasis bistrimaculata, tricking male wasps into attempting to mate and, in the process, provide pollination. Scoliids include some of the largest wasps in the world, such as Megascolia procer.

17-6-2016 - MONTE CORONA, ADOR - SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa striata)

The spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa striata ) is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It breeds in most of Europe and in the Palearctic to Siberia, and is migratory, wintering in Africa and south western Asia. It is declining in parts of its range.

This is an undistinguished looking bird with long wings and tail. The adults have grey-brown upperparts and whitish underparts, with a streaked crown and breast, giving rise to the bird's common name. The legs are short and black, and the bill is black and has the broad but pointed shape typical of aerial insectivores. Juveniles are browner than adults and have spots on the upperparts.

The spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa striata ) is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It breeds in most of Europe and in the Palearctic to Siberia, and is migratory, wintering in Africa and south western Asia. It is declining in parts of its range.

17-6-2016 - MONTE CORONA, ADOR - HOUSE SPARROW (MALE) (Passer domesticus)

The House sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a small passerine bird found in most parts of the world. The extent of its range makes it the most widely distributed wild bird on the planet. Because of its numbers, ubiquity, and association with human settlements, the House sparrow is culturally prominent. It is extensively, and usually unsuccessfully, persecuted as an agricultural pest. It has also often been kept as a pet and was a food item. Though it is widespread and abundant, its numbers have declined in some areas.

Population size

896-1.3 Mln

Life Span

2-23 years

Top speed

40

km/hmph

km/h mph 

Weight

24-40

goz

g oz 

Length

14-18

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

19-25

cminch

16-6-2016 OLIVA CAMPO - MALLARD (MALE) (Anas platyrhynchos)

Male Mallards have a dark, iridescent-green head and bright yellow bill. The gray body is sandwiched between a brown breast and black rear. Females and juveniles are mottled brown with orange-and-brown bills. Both sexes have a white-bordered, blue “speculum” patch in the wing.

Unlike larger waterfowl such as the Tundra Swan, which mate for life, Mallard pairs only stay together for a season. Courtship and pair formation begin each fall and winter. Groups of males display for a hen with a variety of behaviors, including head and tail shaking, head-bobbing, dipping, and whistling.

The female Mallard has between five and 14 light green eggs that she incubates for 30 days.

The ducklings are lead to water as soon as their soft, downy feathers are dry. ...

Most Mallard ducks live for one or two years, but some can live as long as 16 years!

Mallards swim with their tail held above the water.

16-6-2016 OLIVA CAMPO - EUROPEAN SERIN (FEMALE) (Serinus serinus)

The European Serin is a rare passage visitor to the UK, with pairs occasionally breeding in southern England and the Channel Islands. This small finch favours coniferous woodlands but will also make use of farmland, parks and gardens, with their loud abrasive song usually the first indication of their presence. They breed across the Middle East, and Central Europe, where they are partially migratory.

These stunning yellow finches are a very rare sight in the UK. Both males and females have streaky bright yellow and brown backs, wings and flanks and a forked tail. Their bellies are yellow/white in colour which becomes bright yellow on their breast. Males have bright yellow heads with black feathers on their crowns and cheeks, while females have slightly duller colouration on their heads. The bright yellow colouration of the males helps the females choose a mate as brighter plumage is an indicator of a healthy male.