Aves da Pátria da Leari - Sociedade Brasileira de Ornitologia

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Aves da Pátria da Leari
Glaucidium brasilianum brasilianum (Gmelin, 1788)
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
It reproduces in hollow tree cavities and we have found up to four white eggs. Inside the nest we have seen
feathers of various other bird species that have been fed to the chicks such as the blue-black grass quit (Volatinia
jacarina) and the saffron finch (Sicalis flaveola). We also once found the remains of a sewage rat that
weighed as much as the owl. The bird hunts during the day and night and has various plumage colors: one is
gray and the other rust-colored. When flocks of a certain species come across one of these owls perching on a
coveted branch, they team up with other species to scare off the owl from the perch spot. Measurements: Total
length 180mm, wing 10mm, tail 60mm, tarsus 20mm, beak 11mm, weight 68g/95g.
Speotyto cunicularia grallaria (Temminck, 1822)
Burrowing Owl
This is a very common owl species that occurs in open areas of the Caatinga where one can come across large
burrows dug out of the sand where the bird reproduces. During the reproductive period, we have found beetle
shells at the mouth of the burrows. They are active during the day but they seem to hunt mostly at night. We
have observed that at dusk, these owls perch on fences or posts poised top hunt Measurements: Total length
205mm, wing 170mm, tail 68mm/85mm, tarsus 49mm, beak 21mm, weight 150g/160g.
CAPRIMULGIFORMES ORDER
Nyctibiidae Family
Nyctibius griseus griseus (Gmelin, 1789)
Common Potoo
The potoo is a common and well-known bird. The local community refers to it as the “mother of the moon.”
This nocturnal bird feeds from insects it captures in full flight with its large mouth. The male is much bigger
and heavier than the female and is normally seen perched in an erect stance on fence posts or on branches in
dry trees. The bird is difficult to spot due to its incredible camouflage that makes it blend into the tree perfectly.
It lays a solitary white egg in hollow cavities at the end of branches or posts. The chick’s plumage at birth is
white but as time passes it becomes a light gray tone with wisps of white. From the time they hatch until they
abandon the nest, the chicks are capable of clinging onto the branch on which they are born. The parents cover
the chicks with their own bodies to protect them from the sun, rain or potential predators. Measurements: Total
length 340mm, wing 240mm, tail 160mm, beak 16mm.
Caprimulgidae Family
Chordeiles pusillus xerophilus (Dickerman, 1988)
Least Nighthawk
This is the smallest nighthawk in the Caatinga and easily recognizable because of its miniscule size. It is also
one of the few nightjars that flies a little before sunset in erratic patterns, ascending and descending and sometimes
flying in a circle. Initially, it seems there are only one or two individuals but as the evening progresses,
more birds turn up and form a larger group. Both sexes have a white stripe on their wings and the male has a