1-4-1999 IGUAZU, ARGENTINA - SURUCURA TROGON (Trogon surrucura)

The Surucua trogon (Trogon surrucura) is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae, the quetzals and trogons. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

The nominate subspecies of Surucua trogon is found from eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina east into Uruguay and in Brazil as far north as southeastern Tocantins. T. s. aurantius has a more restricted range in east central and eastern Brazil from Bahia south to São Paulo state. They inhabit the mid levels of primary and well-developed secondary forest and semideciduous woodland. T. s. aurantius often associates with bamboo. T. s. surrucura occurs as high as 1,150 m (3,800 ft) in Bahia, 1,550 m (5,100 ft) in Minas Gerais, and higher still in Rio de Janeiro state. T. s. aurantius occurs up to about 2,000 m (6,600 ft). 

1-4-1999 IGUAZU, ARGENTINA - GREEN HEADED TANAGER

The green-headed tanager (Tangara seledon) is a brightly colored bird found in the Atlantic forest in south-eastern Brazil, far eastern Paraguay, and far north-eastern Argentina (Misiones only).

As other members of the genus Tangara, it is a small colorful bird, measuring an average of 13.5 centimeters (5.3 in) and a mass of 18g (0.6 oz). The green-headed Tanager has a greenish or bluish head, black on the back, and a contrastingly colored, orange or red rump. Females and juvenile birds have similar, though duller coloration. While essentially a bird of humid forests, it is also common in orchards and parks, where it moves through the canopy, making itself inconspicuous, as its apparently flashy blue-green coloration camouflages it well amongst the foliage. 

1-4-1999 IGUAZU, ARGENTINA - SPOT BILLED TOUCANET (Selenidera maculirostris)

The spot-billed toucanet (Selenidera maculirostris) is a near-passerine bird in the toucan family Ramphastidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

The spot-billed toucanet is 33 to 37 cm (13 to 15 in) long and weighs 137 to 193 g (4.8 to 6.8 oz). Males and females have the same bill pattern but the female's bill is shorter. The bill has a thin vertical black line at its base. The bill is mostly ivory at the base to greenish-yellow at the tip. The middle of the culmen is black, the maxilla has three to five vertical black stripes, and the mandible has a black patch near the end. Both sexes have bare green-yellow to blue skin arond the eye and a golden-yellow tuft of feathers behind it; both are paler in the female. Adult males have a black head, nape, chin, throat, and belly. Their upperparts are green with a yellow band on the lower neck. Their tail is green with chestnut tips on the central three pairs of feathers. Their flanks are yellow and their undertail coverts are red. Females have chestnut to cinnamon-rufous where the male has black. Immatures are duller overall, usually without a yellow band on the back, and their bill's pattern is not sharp.

 

1-4-1999 IGUAZU, ARGENTINA - GUIANAN SQUIRREL (Sciurus aestuans)

The Brazilian squirrel (or Guianan squirrel) (Sciurus aestuans) is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus endemic to South America. It is found in South-eastern Colombia, Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname and Venezuela.

It is a dark brown squirrel that feeds mainly on fruits and nuts, but can also prey on eggs and the young of birds.

1-4-1999 IGUAZU, ARGENTINA - SOUTHERN MONARCH BUTTERFLY (Danaus erippus)

Danaus erippus, the southern monarch, is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. It is one of the best known butterflies in South America. Its genome is nearly identical to D. plexippus, but the two are incompatible, and therefore considered separate species.

Though, not as well known as the eastern North American monarch migratory phenomenon, it has been observed to move in a consistent spring/autumn manner by flying south in the autumn towards colder latitudes for the winter.Massive overwintering roosts have not yet been found.

1-4-1999 IGUAZU, ARGENTINA - PLUSH CRESTED JAY (Cyanocorax chrysops)

The plush-crested jay (Cyanocorax chrysops) is a jay of the family Corvidae (which includes the crows and their many allies). It is found in central-southern South America: in southwestern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina, including southern regions of the Amazon Basin river systems bordering the Pantanal.

It is an elegant medium-sized bird, dark plumaged with a cream-yellow breast; the bulky tail is also cream colored, top and underneath, for the lower half.

The range of the plush-crested jay extends from the Southern Region, Brazil with Uruguay and approaches the South Atlantic coast, but avoids the coast, approximating a 400 to 150 km coastal strip; the coastal-inland range extends 3500 km from São Paulo south to Rio Grande do Sul bordering Uruguay. The inland range continues in northwestern Uruguay and extends northwest through northern Argentina, Paraguay–Bolivia, and through the Pantanal at the southern Cerrado; the range extends in two arms, to the northwest to northern Bolivia, and northeastwards to headwaters of the Amazon Basin Tapajós River.

In the Amazon Basin, central Bolivia is the northwest range limit, the headwater tributaries to the north-northeast flowing Madeira River; the next range skips the Guaporé River, (a northwest-flowing tributary to the Madeira), eastwards on the Brazil–Bolivia border, and is next found at the headwaters of the Tapajós River, and joins on the east the extreme headwaters of the Xingu River.

A disjunct range occurs downstream on the Tapajós and east towards the Xingu River, a block 850 by 750 kilometres (530 mi × 470 mi). Two other localized populations occur in the Amazon Basin, one on the Amazon River, the other on the downstream Madeira River. 

1-4-1999 IGUAZU, ARGENTINA - GUIRA CUCKOO (Guira guira)

The guira cuckoo (Guira guira) is a gregarious bird found widely in open and semi-open habitats of northeastern, eastern and southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and northeastern Argentina. It is the only species placed in the genus Guira.

The guira cuckoo is a bird of open habitats such as pastures and wetlands, and its range has expanded significantly due to deforestation. Within its distribution, it is commonly seen in suburban parks and gardens.

Like the related squirrel cuckoo, the guira cuckoo is not a particularly adept flier, and usually flies only for short distances. It is often seen gliding or hopping from one perch to another while vocalizating loudly.

Although it is primarily an arboreal bird, it is often seen foraging on the ground, sometimes alone but often in flocks of up to 18 individuals. It is sometimes seen with other birds whose behaviour is similar, such as the smooth-billed ani. Unlike many of the Old World cuckoos, the guira cuckoo does not practice brood parasitism or kleptoparasitism. 

1-4-1999 IGUAZU, ARGENTINA - BLUE NAPED CHLOROPHONIA

The blue-naped chlorophonia (Chlorophonia cyanea) is a colourful South American species of bird in the family Fringillidae; it was formerly placed in the Thraupidae. It is generally fairly common.

A small, plump, mainly green bird. The underparts are yellow, and the mantle/lower nape, rump and eye-ring are blue. Some subspecies have a yellow frontlet. Females are duller than the males, with underparts more greenish-yellow and less blue to the mantle/lower nape.

Its distribution is highly disjunct, with population associated with the Atlantic Forest in south-eastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina, the Andes from Bolivia in south to Venezuela in north, the Perijá and Santa Marta Mountains, the Venezuelan Coastal Range, and the Tepuis. All populations are associated with humid forest, but locally it also occurs in nearby gardens and parks (especially in the Atlantic Forest region). Most populations are found in subtropical highlands, but it occurs down to near sea level in the Atlantic Forest region.

1-4-1999 IGUAZU, ARGENTINA - PINK BANDED SISTER BUTTERFLY (Adelpha-lycorias)

Adelpha lycorias, the pink-banded sister, is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.

Adelpha lycorias has a wingspan reaching about 50 millimetres (2.0 in). The uppersides of the wings are generally deep brown, with black apex of the anterior wings. The anterior wings are crossed by a broad band of pink or crimson, irregular in its outer margin, commencing on the middle of the costa and ending at the outer margin. The undersides are chocolate colour, while the nervure, the lines between them and the submarginal line are black. The band of the anterior wings is almost white, slightly tinged with crimson.

This species can be found in Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala, usually between 500 and 1800 meters.

1-4-1999 IGUAZU, ARGENTINA - BLOND CRESTED WOODPECKER (Celeus flavescens)

The blond-crested woodpecker (Celeus flavescens) is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

The blond-crested woodpecker's subspecies C. f. intercedens is the more northerly of the two. It is found in western Bahia, Goiás, and Minas Gerais in east-central Brazil. The nominate subspecies is found southeast of it, from southern Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul and into eastern Paraguay and Argentina's Misiones Province. The species inhabits the interior and edges of humid forest and also gallery forest, savanna, caatinga, and orchards.

The blond-crested woodpecker is a year-round resident throughout its range. 

1-4-1999 IGUAZU, ARGENTINA - RHINOCEROUS BEETLE (Enema pan)

Dynastinae beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) are important due to their role in recycling plant material and promoting nutrient turnover. However, some species are phytophagous and can attack crop plants, thus becoming pests. Here, we provide information on the biology and behavior of the rhinoceros beetle Enema pan (F.) (Oryctini), an abundant species in the area of Cerrado-Pantanal ecotone, Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Adults were collected with a light trap deployed daily from January 2006 to December 2007 in the experimental farm of the Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul (Aquidauana campus). Adults were maintained in plastic containers and observations were made daily. Temporal distribution of adults of E. pan occurred in September and October (2006) and from October to December (2007). Flight started at 1930 hours and ended at 2330 hours. Twenty-four eggs (3.28 mm in length by 2.32 mm in width) with a whitish color were ovipositioned directly in to the soil. Adult longevity averaged 22.0 d in the laboratory conditions. Cephalic horn length, body length, and width of E. pan males are greater than those of females. The weight of adults of both sexes was similar. Cephalic horn length of the males of E. pan was positively correlated with his body size. Mating occurred between 0800 and 1030 hours and lasted on average 18.1 min in the laboratory. Several fights among males and other behaviors involving males and females were observed and are reported.

1-4-1999 IGUAZU, ARGENTINA - SWALLOW TAILED MANAKIN (MALE) (Chiroxiphia caudata)

The blue manakin or swallow-tailed manakin (Chiroxiphia caudata) is a small species of bird in the family Pipridae. It is found mainly in the Atlantic Forest of south-eastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay and far north-eastern Argentina. Its typical habitat is wet lowland or montane forest and heavily degraded former forest. Males have a bright blue body, black head wings and tail and a red crown. Females and juveniles are olive-green. At breeding time, males are involved in lekking behaviour when they sing and dance to impress females. This is a common species with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern"

21-9-1992 ANCHORAGE, ALASKA - SPRUCE GOOSE (Canachites canadensis)

The spruce grouse (Canachites canadensis), also known as Canada grouse, spruce hen or fool hen, is a medium-sized grouse closely associated with the coniferous boreal forests or taiga of North America. It is the only member of the genus Canachites.

It is one of the most arboreal grouse species, fairly well adapted to perching and moving about in trees. When approached by a predator, it relies on camouflage and immobility to an amazing degree; for example, letting people approach within a few feet before finally taking flight.

As a specialist of the taiga, the spruce grouse is found throughout Canada. In the United States, it is present in Alaska, northern New England, the Adirondacks in New York, northern Michigan, northeastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the montane coniferous forests of Montana, Idaho, Maine, Oregon, and Washington. Spruce grouse are always associated with conifer-dominated forests, be they pine, spruce, or fir. They seem to prefer young successional stands. In summer they can be found near rich understory of blueberries and other shrub, and in winter they prefer denser stands.

20-9-1992 ANCHORAGE, ALASKA - BLACK BACKED WOODPECKER (Picoides arcticus)

The black-backed woodpecker, known scientifically as Picoides arcticus and colloquially as the Arctic three-toed woodpecker, is a bird of medium stature, measuring approximately 23 cm (9.1 in) in length. It is distinguished by its predominantly black plumage, which adorns the head, back, wings, and rump, contrasting with the white underparts extending from throat to belly. The flanks are white, barred with black, and the tail is black with white outer feathers. A notable feature of this species is the presence of only three toes on each foot, a trait shared with its close relatives, the American and Eurasian three-toed woodpeckers. The adult male is further characterized by a striking yellow cap, a touch of color amidst the otherwise somber hues.

This woodpecker's range extends throughout the boreal forests of North America, with a year-round presence in its chosen habitats. It is a non-migratory bird, although historical records indicate occasional irruptions beyond its usual range.

The black-backed woodpecker is a burnt-forest specialist, adept at exploiting the wood-boring beetle populations that proliferate in recently burnt trees. It primarily feeds by pecking at the wood, with a smaller portion of its diet obtained by gleaning insects from branches. Nesting occurs in the spring, with each pair excavating a new nest annually. Other bird species often reuse these abandoned cavities for their own nesting purposes.

The vocal repertoire of the black-backed woodpecker includes a distinctive call note, a single, sharp "pik" sound, which is lower in pitch compared to that of the American three-toed woodpecker.

Breeding activities commence in April and May, with the woodpecker couple sharing the responsibility of incubating the eggs. The male takes on the sole duty of incubation during the night. After hatching, the altricial chicks are brooded until they reach the nestling phase, with both parents contributing to feeding. Fledging occurs approximately 24 days post-hatching.

18-9-1992 JUNEAU, ALASKA - SWAINSON'S THRUSH (Catharus ustulatus)

Swainson's thrush (Catharus ustulatus), also called olive-backed thrush and russet-backed thrush, is a medium-sized thrush. It is a member of genus Catharus and is typical of it in terms of its subdued coloration and beautiful, ascending flute-like voice. Swainson's thrush was named after William Swainson, an English ornithologist.

Does much feeding on ground, but not as much as the other brown thrushes. Also forages in trees, and may hover momentarily to take insects from foliage or may catch them in mid-air.

 

18-9-1992 WHITTIER, ALASKA - GREAT HORNED OWL (Bubo virginianus)

This owl is native to the Americas with its range, covering the greater part of North America, stretching to Central America, and reaching South America. The Great horned owl occurs primarily in woodlands and open fields, scattered throughout its range. However, the species can also be found in mangroves, grasslands, swampy and marshy areas as well as deserts. In addition, this bird occasionally inhabits human settlements, found throughout rural and urban areas.

These birds are solitary animals, socializing only for nesting. They usually roost by day in protected places such as a tree limb or a recess in a rock. Great horned owls are efficient nighttime hunters, though they are known to hunt in the daytime as well. Horned owls are non-migratory, remaining within the same area throughout the year. Some individuals may become "territorial floaters", not having a certain territory and constantly traveling through territories of other owls. These birds use hooting as a form of communication. Through hooting, they can search for mates during the mating season as well as set up territorial dominance.

18-9-1992 JUNEAU, ALASKA - DOWNY WOODPECKER (Dryobates pubescens)

The downy woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) is a species of woodpecker, the smallest in North America. Length ranges from 14 to 18 cm (5.5 to 7.1 in). Downy woodpeckers primarily live in forested areas throughout the United States and Canada, with the exception of deserts in the southwest and the northern tundra. The bird nests in tree cavities and feeds primarily on insects, although it supplements its diet with seeds and berries. The downy woodpecker is very similar in appearance to the hairy woodpecker, although they are not closely related.

10-8-1988 SERENGETTI, KENYA - RUPPELL'S STARLING (Lamprotornis purpuroptera)

Rüppell's starling (Lamprotornis purpuroptera), also known as Rueppell's glossy-starling or Rueppell's long-tailed starling, is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Chad, Tanzania, and Uganda.