Wildwestbirds

Brazil bird mystery

A Narrow-billed Woodcreeper

The Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, a resident of Brazil's Pantanal region, has a distinct head pattern separating it from other woodcreepers. Although there are an additional eight subspecies, all on the South American continent, this Brazilian specie is a resident of cerrados.

Cerrados are the most biodiverse tropical savannas in the world, containing 5% of all plants and animals, only found in central Brazil and parts of Paraguay. Only the Amazon rainforest, surpasses the cerrados as home to 10% of the world's plants and animals. Despite the nation's agricultural prowess in producing tons of soya, there is a concerted effort led by Brazilian conservationists to preserve these unique habitats holding massive genetic reserves.

The Narrow-billed Woodcreeper is one of South America's endemic bird species like the others of Genus Lepidocolaptes. This genus forage vertically, climbing up tree trunks, gleaning insects and small vertebrates from their bark. Although this woodcreeper is known to frequent areas of human development where it has be observed feeding on moths around street lights in the early hours, the individuals below were photographed in the remote region of Lago de Serra da Mesa, a location reached after many hours off-road at the eastern corner of Brazil's largest lake.

Gnatcatchers

The family Polioptilidae or gnatcatchers is comprised of three genera with 21 species, the largest genus being Polioptila with 17 similar species.

Polioptila are represented in Brazil by the Masked Gnatcatcher, a delightful and tiny little bird constantly on the move, challenging to photograph, but so much more rewarding when you do! My experiences chasing its cousin on the North American continent the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher proved to be essential training. Both species weigh only 5 grams and must constantly glean - sometimes hover gleaning the abundance of tiny insect food found in the tropics.

Male Masked Gnatcatcher

Female Masked Gnatcatcher (note facial markings)

Other Brazilian ultralights

There are many birds, let's call them ultralights (drawing on a term from aviation for convenience), in the tropics. Both of these tiny birds, weighing only 5-6 grams, have evolved to exploit the abundance of food in a warm and wet environment. Insects sustain the Masked Gnatcatcher while nectar and insects sustain hummingbirds.

Many flowers provide high octane nectar for these remarkable birds. Continuing with the aeronautic mechanical analogy, hummingbirds are unique, with a high revving motor, hearts beating at 50 to 80 times a second, and a rigid wing design except at the shoulder joint which allows the bird to move in all directions - including flying backwards as demonstrated by the Glittering-throated Emerald below.

The gorgeous Swallow-tailed Hummingbird is fast - very fast - and to make life difficult for the photographer does not frequent a particular flower as a food source, but rather feeds largely on flying insects high in the canopy. After chasing the elusive hummingbird for months, the best I could deliver are these two inferior photos.

On my way home one morning while leaving Olhos D'agua Park in Brasilia through the dense jungle area, this little fellow, a Glittering-throated Emerald, performed his backward flying act right in front of me while collecting nest material.