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Galliformes and other animals for South America
JOrnitho: Hello! I'm back with ideas for some new species for South America. I found in my computer an archive with some ideas for fauna and flora that I had some time ago and decided to show there to ask your opinion about them. The first is about a descendant of the domestic chicken. [more]Copper jacumitan (Jacumita cuprinus) Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae Habitat: Savannas and woodlands of Central South America. During the Holocene, the man introduced many species in other continents. The jacumitan is a descendant of domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) that are introduced in South America. It replaced the birds in the family Cracidae, which are extinct in the Neocene, in some areas. In a matter of fact, the name jacumitan is the junction of the words jacu, the popular name in Brazil for guans of the Genus Penelope, and the tupi word mitã (mitan) that means new, this way the name means “new guan”. The copper jacumitan is the type species of this genus and lives in the savannas and woodlands of Central South America. The copper jacumitan is sexually dysmorphic. The male measure 190 cm, due to the long tail, it has a bright coppery brown upperbody plumage and reddish-brown feathers below. They also have metallic dark green feathers on the tail and wings. Only males have a bright red naked skin on the face, with two wattles that conceal the sides of its head. This characteristic is shared by all males of the genus Jacumita. The males of the genus also have crests formed by white feathers with black tips. During courtship and panic moments, they rise the crests. The females have 75 cm of length and are cryptic brown and adapted to camouflage, its naked skin on the face is pale pink and don’t have flesh wattles. The young males are similar to the females until they reach 9 weeks, at this time the wattle begin to develop. Both sexes have long orange colored legs and grey beak. The males have spurs that they use in fights for dominance. The neck is long and slim. Copper jacumitans can fly, but prefer to run from the predators flying only as last resort. These birds are omnivorous and feed on insects, seeds, and fruits. Its forage for food by scratching the ground, usually near herbivores this way there is other animals observing for the presence of predators. Often the male sits on a high perch, to serve as a lookout for his group. He sounds an alarm call if predators are nearby. At night it will sleep perched on branches. Copper jacumitans are polygamous; the male will have a harem with 5 to 12 females and will guards the area where his females are nesting, and attack other males that enter his territory. To initiate courting, the males will dance in a circle around or near a female, raising their crests and lowering the wing which is closest to the hen. Then, he will vocalize and when she responds to his call, the male will mount her and proceed with the mating. The females make their nest in the ground, laying 6 to 14 red eggs which are incubated for 22 days. Chicks are precocious, leaving the nest shortly they are born. They fledge in about 4 to 5 weeks, and at 13 weeks old are chased out of the group by their mother, at which point the young males start to form a harem and the females join an existing one. Sexual maturity is reached at 6 months and the lifespan of this species is of 13 years, however is common for males to die early due to predation. Other species in the genus Jacumita are: Golden jacumitan (Jacumita aurea) Living in the forests of the Atlantic coast of South America, the males of this species has 200 cm of length, from beak to tail, while the females have 83 cm. The plumage of the male have a bright golden-yellow plumage in the upperparts, being scarlet in the chest and belly. They have dark metallic green wing feathers and tail while the female is cryptic brown. Red jacumitan (Jacumita amazonica) Living in the "terra firme" forests of the Amazon , the males of this species has 185 cm of length, from beak to tail, while females have 70 cm. The plumage of male is bright orange-red in the upperparts, while their chest and belly is yellow. The males also have dark metallic blue wing feathers and tail while the female is cryptic brown. Andean jacumitan (Jacumita andina) Living in the highland forests in the slopes of the Andes, the males of this species has 170 cm of length, from beak to tail, while females have 68 cm. The plumage of the males is white in the upperparts and yellowish-red in the belly and chest. The males also have dark metallic blue wing feathers and tail while the female is cryptic brown. This other one is about a descendant of the californian quail: Common austral grouse (Tetraoinus australis) Order: Galliformes Family: Odontophoridae Habitat: Forests of Southern South America During the Holocene, the man introduced many exotic species different habitats, the ancestor of the austral grouse was one of these species. Their ancestor was not a true grouse, but the Californian quail, due to evolutionary convergence they acquired characteristics similar to the true grouses of North America. Living in the forests of Southern South America, the male austral grouse are 55 cm long and the female have 44 cm of length. The male have a dark grey body plumage, black-and-white bridled head pattern, black back and a greyish-blue belly. They have a curving crest or plume, made of six feathers that droops forward (long and black in males /short and brown in females) and long forked blackish tail with white undertail coverts. Females and immature birds are mainly greyish-brown with a light-brown belly. Both sexes have a black bill and relatively long grey legs. Their diet consists mainly of seeds and leaves, but they also eat some berries and insects. In some regions their main source of food are the seeds of trees of the Genus Araucaria. These birds are not elegant fliers, however they sleep perched in branches. Given a choice, they will normally escape on foot. During the courtship, the male austral grouse do displays on a lek, each male have a “personal space”. The males strut around their chose space, doing a display. The display consists of the male posturing himself with the head near the ground. Then, they start to move it from right to left showing their crests, simultaneously they raising the tail feathers, showing their withe undertail coverts. After that, they will raise their heads abruptly and whilst make a highly distinctive mating call. When another male invade the personal space of other, a fight happens, in this case the male will try to take of the crest of the rival, this way they will not be capable to display for the females. The female usually lays approximately 12 spotted eggs. The nest is a shallow scrape lined with vegetation on the ground. Incubation lasts from 21–25 days, usually performed by the female and rarely by the male. The chicks are precocial, leaving the nest with their parents within hours of hatching. The male stay with the female until the young leave, with 3 months. The young reach sexual maturity with 1 year, with this age the young males acquire the coloration of an adult male. Their lifespan is of 27 years. In the forests of Tierra del Fuego another species lives, the Black boreal grouse (Tetraoinus nigrus). Their main difference to the other species is that the males have an all-black plumage, with only a faint shade of blue in the chest and brown undertail coverts. The females are similar to that of the common austral grouse. The males have 52 cm and the females 41 cm.[/more] I also have in this archive some names for possible species that I never developed bayond some few facts. Maybe someone could help me make their descriptions.
JOrnitho: Áèîëîã ïèøåò: sea onza (in Bestiary, only Russian so far) in tropical regions of Pacific and Atlantic. This seemingly means it inhabits both hemispheres. Thanks! I'll mention it in the description.
JOrnitho: I finished the description of the semi-aquatic descendant of the American mink. What do you think? Millalobo (Paraotaria odontoacuta) Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae Habitat: Southern South America, from Tierra del Fuego to Northern Chile in the Pacific coast, to Southern Brazil in the Atlantic coast During the Holocene, humans had caused several impacts on the environment. Among their actions was the introduction of exotic species. The American mink (Neogale vison) was one of the species that were introduced from their ancestral land in North America to several other continents, among them was South America. These animals were used in the fur industry, but a great number of individuals fled or were released. They were not only capable of surviving the transition of the Holocene to the Neocene, but also to evolve into new species, taking advantage of the demise of other animals to fill their niches. The millalobo is a descendant of the American mink that were introduced to South America. They share their name with a important creature of the Chilote mythology, a ruler of the sea. This species is a semi-aquatic predator that has filled the niche left by the sea lions and fur seals. It inhabits Southern South America, from Tierra del Fuego to Northern Chile in the Pacific coast, to Southern Brazil in the Atlantic coast. These mammals are sexually dysmorphic. The male is larger and more robust than the female. He has an average size of 185 cm, with some reaching nearly 200 cm. The female barely surpasses 160 cm. The male also has long upper canines, which can protrude from the upper lips in older individuals. Their body is elongated and flexible, with a dog-like head with small ears. They have strong jaws with sharp teeth, which are capable of leaving great wounds in their prey. This species has limbs modified into flippers, similar to that of an Otariidae of the Holocene. Like them, the millalobo is also more mobile on land. When swimming, these animals use their four flippers to give propulsion underwater. All these characteristics could pass them as a descendant of the pinnipeds, but these are only cases of convergent evolution. The only characteristic that differs from true seals is the presence of a stubby, 15 cm long tail. The pelage is thick and luxuriant, being light tawny on the females and young males, becoming dark brown in older males. Both sexes have pale underparts. The millalobo is carnivorous, feeding on fish, squid and crustaceans. They take long, offshore foraging trips, but sometimes can hunt near the coast. They can also eat seabirds, such as penguingulls, and mammals like the Ayapuh. The females and young males prefer to hunt smaller prey, while the adult males hunt mostly the large ones. When hunting penguingulls, the millalobo patrols the waters near the breeding colonies, almost completely submerged, waiting for the birds to enter the ocean. It kills the swimming bird by grabbing its feet, then shaking it vigorously and beating its body against the surface of the water repeatedly until the bird is dead. The Ayapuh is killed by these mammals with a bite on their necks. The largest of the males is also capable of killing a newborn algocetus. While they spend most of their time on the sea, these animals establish territories at the coast where they rest. The males will have a large territory. They are very territorial, fighting fiercely against males that try to invade. These fights can be violent, with deep wounds being left due to their large canines. The females don’t have a fixed territory, being able to move around the territory of the males. They are more sociable, even forming small groups in beaches or rocky areas. Such agglomerations are more common when they have cubs and during the winter. In the winter, the dominant male will occasionally participate in these groups to get warm. The mating season of the millalobo starts at the end of the autumn. During this period, the females will be starting to reunite in groups to get warmer during the night due to the temperature falling. Such groups are usually formed in the center of the territory of a dominant male. With most of the females together in only one place, the male will come in search of those that are fertile. The male will do it for 3 weeks, which is the period that the females remain fertile. During this time, he'll try to copulate with most of the receptive females that he can find. Is during this period that other males that don’t have territories try to approach females, resulting in fights. The gestation lasts from the end of the autumn to the beginning of the spring. During this period the females disperse in search of safe locations where they can give birth. These places usually are caves or large rock crevices, any place where the females can enter and the predators will not be able to have access to the cubs. Some females can enter estuaries, reaching freshwater in search of such locations.The female gives birth to one or two cubs. They are born with closed eyes that open one day after birth. The ears take a bit longer, opening three days after they are born. The females remain with the cubs for ten days, after that they start to go forage at the sea. After one month, the pups already are capable of swimming and the mother will guide them out of the den where they were born toward the groups of females that start to form during these periods. Differently of the groups formed during the winter, these are smaller and only have mothers and their pups. While the females go search for food, the young remain together in crèches. Pups are weaned after a year, at this point they are already capable of living alone. If they are female, their mother will tolerate their presence. However, the males are aggressively expelled by the mother, being forced to have an errant life until they are able to secure their own territory in the coast. The sexual maturity of this species is reached with 5 years and they have a lifespan of 36 years. However, few reach this age. Many males are killed in territorial fights, while individuals of both sexes are eaten by large sharks, such as the sea onza.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Good one! A very elaborate description!
JOrnitho: I was thinking if the lack of suitable tree holes due to the bees would compel cavity nesting birds to start making nests in holes on cliffs and slopes. The project already have the digging parrot that does exactly that, but I was thinking if other birds could do the same. For example, a group of trogons that evolved to do it.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho But bees themselves can make their nests (hives) in rock holes instead of trees. Only given it is in tropical climate, so that they have sufficient temperature for development of their eggs, larvae and pupae during metamorphosis. Or you refer to some special species of bees that forces birds out (maybe Africanized "killer" bees)?
JOrnitho: Áèîëîã ïèøåò: Or you refer to some special species of bees that forces birds out (maybe Africanized "killer" bees)? It's because in the chapter that I'm translating, the Three Fates in Selva, is mentioned how difficult is for the birds to make nests in tree holes due to the competition with Africanized bees. So, I thought that some could learn to excavate nests in cliffs to avoid it.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Ah, now I see! But birds may also develop some other mechanisms of protection against Africanized bees. But the idea is interesting!
JOrnitho: Áèîëîã ïèøåò: But birds may also develop some other mechanisms of protection against Africanized bees. Oh, this is an interesting idea! One of these strategies could be that some birds use toxic leaves in their nests to repel bees.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho toxic leaves in their nests to repel bees Yes! The leaves that give out some smell or toxin that repels bees but is harmless to birds! The only problem is that in some time the vapor wears off and the smell fades away, so the bird must fetch some fresh material.
JOrnitho: Áèîëîã ïèøåò: The only problem is that in some time the vapor wears off and the smell fades away, so the bird must fetch some fresh material. It can be solved with one of the parents staying incubating while the other goes to collect these leaves.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Yes, why not.
JOrnitho: I think that psittacids and woodpeckers could develop this strategy. Now we only need to have the species of plant that they could use. There is anyone in the project that have bonical knowledge?
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho psittacids and woodpeckers OK. species of plant that they could use anyone in the project that have bonical knowledge? I am not bad in botany, but not good enough to know tropical flora in detail. I think it could be some species of Solanaceae or maybe a descendant of Toxicodendron. But let's discuss this in another topic.
JOrnitho: I made this description for some descendants of the bananaquit. Emerald sibite (Carpophagus viridis) Order: Passeriformes Family: Thraupidae Habitat: Atlantic forests of South America During the Holocene, humans created gardens in the cities, which attracted many animals. One of these animals was the bananaquit (Coereba flaveola). These birds were common across all of tropical and warm areas of the American continent. Bannaquits prospered during the Holocene and survived in to the Neocene, giving rise to the Genus Carpophagus, the sibites (this word was one of its popular names on Brazil). The type species of the genus is the emerald sibite, which lives in the Atlantic forests of South America. These birds have 11 cm of length and a wingspan of 20 cm. All species of sibite are sexually dysmorphic, males are bright colored. In the case of the emerald sibite, males are bright green with black around the eyes, on the throat, back, wings and tail. Females and juveniles are similar, being dull green with grey on the throat, back, wings and tail. Both sexes have grey legs and feet. The beak is grey and sharp. The sibites eat mostly fruits and nectar, rarely feeding on small invertebrates. They use their sharp beak to perforate the peel of large fruits and proceed to consume the pulp. When eating nectar, these birds pierces the flowers from the side, taking the nectar without pollinating the plant. Sometimes small insects are consumed. This species is monogamous, mating for life. It builds a spherical lined nest with a side entrance hole, laying up to three spotted eggs, which are incubated solely by the female for 20 days. The male stay away from the nest most of the time (because of its colorful feathers) defending the territory and return to bring food for the female. These birds breed all year regardless of season and build new nests throughout the year. The young fledge usually with 18 days and reach sexual maturity with 4 months. The lifespan of this species is of 8 years. Other species in the genus Carpohagus: Amazonian sibite (Carpophagus amazonicus) Living in the Amazon rainforest, this bird has a similar size to the emerald sibite. The male of this species is bright yellow with black around the eyes, on the throat, back, wings and tail. The females and juveniles have dull colors. Dwarf sibite (Carpophagus nanus) This is the smallest species on the genus, with only 9 cm of length and 17 cm of wingspan. This is an inhabitant of the forests and woodlands near the Andes. The male is bright greenish yellow with black around the eyes, on the throat, back, wings and tail. The females and young have dull colors. The genus Carpophagus belong to the family Thraupidae and together with the genera Sentrentriornithes (northern sibites) and Neocoereba (insular sibite) they form the subfamily Carpophagiinae. Species in the genus Setentriornithes: Black-headed northern sibite (Setentriornithes nigrocephalus) Living in the tropical forests of North America, this bird has 13 cm of length and a wingspan of 23 cm. The males have bright yellow feathers at the throat, abdomen and belly. They also have dark plumage on the head, back, wings and tail with the presence of white around the eyes. Females and young are pale grey with shadows of yellow in the underparts. Black northern sibite (Setentriornithes nigrus) Living in the subtropical forests of the Florida’s Peninsula, this bird has 14 cm of length and a wingspan of 25 cm. The males are completely black with white around the eyes. They also have a bright yellow rump. The females and juveniles are pale grey. Specie in the genus Neocoereba: Insular sibite (Neocoereba insularis) The only member of it genus, the insular sibite lives in the forests of Great Antigua. It has 10 cm of length and a wingspan of 18 cm. Differently of sibites of other genera, the insular sibites don’t have sexual dimorphism, both the male and female have whitish grey heads, back, wings and tail. The belly and underpart of both sexes is yellow.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Good ones, in three genera in a row!
JOrnitho: I saw that there is a descendant of the house sparrow in North America , this makes me think if it would be possible for those living in South America to survive too. They could form mixed flocks with other species of seed-eating birds.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho I think yes, it's possible, the South American population could give a different descendant, not the same as in North America.
JOrnitho: I made the description for this South American descendant of the sparrow. Monarch sparrow (Americopasser regius) Order: Passeriformes Family: Passeridae Habitat: Savannas of Central South America During the Holocene, the man introduced many species to other continents. Those that were able to survive left descendants in the Neocene. The monarch sparrow is one of them. This species is a descendant of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) that was introduced in South America. This bird inhabits the savannas of Central South America. The monarch sparrow is typically about 15 cm long, ranging from 14 to 18 cm. They have a wingspan of 19 to 25 cm. This species is a compact bird with a full chest and a large, rounded head. Its bill is large and thick. The monarch sparrow is a sexually dismorphic bird. The males have chestnut face and throat, with a black crown and nape. They have an auburn back and grey underparts. The females have a pale grey crown and lack the chestnut in the face and throat. The plumage of the youngs are similar to that of the female. Both sexes have a white and a black wing bar below its shoulders, and flight feathers and tail streaked grey and black. Their large bill is dark grey, while the legs and feet are slate-gray. These birds' primary source of food are seeds of grains and weeds, but occasionally insects will also be consumed. They use the strong beaks to crush the food. This characteristic allows them to consume hard seeds and the occasional insect with a hard exoskeleton. While foraging, they form mixed flocks with Thraupidae seedeaters. The monarch sparrow is gregarious, forming flocks that stay together while foraging and sleeping. Monogamous, they usually mate for life. However, birds from pairs often engage in extra-pair copulations. Male monarch sparrows guard their mates carefully to avoid being cuckolded, and most extra-pair copulation occurs away from nest sites. Males may sometimes have multiple mates, and bigamy is mostly limited by aggression between females. Many birds do not find a nest and a mate, and instead may serve as helpers around the nest for mated pairs, a role which increases the chances of being chosen to replace a lost mate. Lost mates of both sexes can be replaced quickly during the breeding season. The formation of a pair and the bond between the two birds is tied to the holding of a nest site, though paired house sparrows can recognise each other away from the nest. This species can breed at any time of the year, but it's more common to happen when food is successful. Nest sites are varied, though cavities are preferred. Holes in cliffs and banks, and tree hollows, are used. They will sometimes excavate their own nests in sandy banks or rotten branches, but more frequently uses the nests of other birds such as those of swallows in banks and cliffs, and old tree cavity nests. It usually uses deserted nests, though sometimes it usurps active ones by driving away or killing the occupants. When there aren't cavities available, the monarch sparrow will build nests in tree branches and even below nests of large birds. The nest is usually domed, though it may lack a roof in enclosed sites. It has an outer layer of stems and roots, a middle layer of dead grass and leaves, and a lining of feathers, as well as other soft materials. The building of the nest is initiated by the unmated male while displaying to females. The female assists in building, but is less active than the male. The monarch sparrow do not hold territories, but they defend their nests aggressively against intruders of the same sex. The female usually lays four to five greenish-white, spotted brown eggs. They hatch at the same time after 14 days of incubation. Young monarch sparrows remain in the nest for 23 days. During this time, they are fed by both parents. As newly hatched sparrows do not have sufficient insulation, they are brooded for a few days, or longer in cold conditions. The parents swallow the droppings produced by the hatchlings during the first few days; later, the droppings are moved up to 20 m away from the nest. They are capable of sustaining themselves within 30 days. Sexual maturity is reached with 3 months and they have a lifespan of 7 years, but many perish early than that. This species is partially migratory, moving in flocks in search for food. The austral sparrow (Americopasser australis) is another species that is part of the genus Americopasser. This species inhabits the prairies and plains of Southern South America. They have 18 cm of length and 35 cm of wingspan. Morphologically, they are similar to the monarch sparrow. They also have large and strong beaks. The only difference between the two species is that the males have a black head with a chestnut throat. The female is similar to that of the monarch sparrow. This species is migratory, leaving the Southern areas in large flocks during the winter to Northern zones, even reaching the fringes of the Amazon rainforest.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Wow, good species with a great name!
JOrnitho: What could be an interesting niche for a cuculid to have in South America? Most of the species here aren’t parasitic, so I was thinking if these species could have some new niches that their ancestors didn’t had. Another idea that I also had is that maybe the parasitic species could lay eggs in exclusively in nests of these cuculids that aren’t parasitic and remained with niches similar of their ancestors, such as members of the genus Piaya, Coccyzus or Guira.
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