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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.
wovoka: JOrnitho ïèøåò: This is interesting. There is species of birds in South America that follow ants. Some are obligate, taking most of their diet from them. Maybe a family of nomad birds appeared, one that constantly follows the insects. Also, these ants that they follow would need to be a diurnal species. There is such a bird in the forests of Central America http://www.sivatherium.narod.ru/avies.htm#gymnopithys_latronem_ru , but the description in Russian.
JOrnitho: wovoka ïèøåò: There is such a bird in the forests of Central America http://www.sivatherium.narod.ru/avies.htm#gymnopithys_latronem_ru , but the description in Russian. Then, there could be a related species inhabiting the Amazon in South America, sort of a nomadic antbird. Does the conquistador ants live in South America, or any related species?
wovoka: JOrnitho ïèøåò: Does the conquistador ants live in South America, or any related species? No, conquistador ants live only in Central America, and they don't have any relatives in South America. JOrnitho ïèøåò: Then, there could be a related species inhabiting the Amazon in South America, sort of a nomadic antbird. Yes, of course.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho And what do you think about my idea for bellbirds? Their wattles can develop into something special, along with vocal calls.
JOrnitho: wovoka ïèøåò: No, conquistador ants live only in Central America, and they don't have any relatives in South America. Maybe the ant that these birds follow could be a descendant species of army ant from South America. Áèîëîã ïèøåò: And what do you think about my idea for bellbirds? Their wattles can develop into something special, along with vocal calls I like it! Perhaps this descendant of the bellbird could have a loud call to attract the females, before executinv some "dance" for them. Any idea about how their plumage could be used in the courtship?
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Any idea about how their plumage could be used in the courtship? Oh, why plumage? The wattles! They are already present, and can become brightly colored and probably bearing bright-colored warts!
wovoka: JOrnitho ïèøåò: Maybe the ant that these birds follow could be a descendant species of army ant from South America. Yes, sure.
JOrnitho: Áèîëîã ïèøåò: Oh, why plumage? The wattles! They are already present, and can become brightly colored and probably bearing bright-colored warts! This is a good idea! Rather than being gray like their ancestors, the males could have bare faces with red, purple and blue. Depending of the species, of course. The wattles and other facial structures would match these colors. Regarding the army ants and the birds that follow them, I was thinking that there could be a species of nocturnal passerine that follow the species of ants that are active during the night.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho a species of nocturnal passerine that follow the species of ants that are active during the night I think yes, but other insectivorous birds can also be in this niche, not only passerines. E. g. woodpeckers.
JOrnitho: Áèîëîã ïèøåò: I think yes, but other insectivorous birds can also be in this niche, not only passerines. E. g. woodpeckers. Yes, there is also some species of woodpeckers and even cuckoos that follow the army ants in search for food. However, I think that the Formicariidae have more changes to develop such specific habits.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Yes, why not.
JOrnitho: Also, an interesting idea regarding nocturnal passerines is the possibility of a descendant of the Conopophagidae. There is some species that are active during the dusk, their descendants could have evolved to forage for insects during the night.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Yes, quite possible. As such, it can become specialized to catch nocturnal insects mid-air, like swifts or swallows do.
JOrnitho: Áèîëîã ïèøåò: As such, it can become specialized to catch nocturnal insects mid-air, like swifts or swallows do. It's a good idea! These descendants of the Conopophagidae could have a different morphology than that of their ancestors, having more maneuverability to hunt the insects in the understory of dense forests. Perhaps they could even form a new family.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho I think yes, but must have abundant food for that - the insects.
JOrnitho: Áèîëîã ïèøåò: I think yes, but must have abundant food for that - the insects. Yes. The understory of the rainforest is plenty of flies and mosquitoes.
JOrnitho: I made the description for the bellbirds. Purple magnificent bellbird (Magnoprocnias purpuracea) The human actions during the Holocene caused the decline of many species. However some species survived and in the Neocene they gave rise to new species. The Genus Magnoprocnias, the magnificent bellbirds, is formed by descendants of New World bellbirds that survived the anthropogenic onslaught during the Holocene. The type species of this genus is the purple magnificent bellbird. This bird is found in the Amazon Rainforest, only being seen in the canopy. The purple magnificent bellbird is a sexually dismorphic bird, with males having characteristic large purple wattles in the face and throat. The female lacks such structures. The males have 42 cm of length and a wingspan of 63 cm, while the females have 37 cm of length. Both sexes have broad dark gray hooked-tipped bills, rounded wings and strong gray legs. The plumage of the male is mostly white, with a brown back and rump. Their wings are green. The females are duller in color with a black crown, olive-brown upper parts and yellowish underparts streaked with olive green. The species is completely frugivorous, swallowing the fruits from trees. The magnificent bellbirds perform an important role in seed dispersal. It regurgitates the seeds it cannot digest and deposits them in gap areas beneath song perches, which nearly doubles seedling survival rate. The purple magnificent bellbird is mostly solitary, living spread across the canopy and only forming small flocks when there is an abundance of fruits. Their breeding season starts during the beginning of the rainy season. The males will fly up to the emergent layer of the forest and will vocalize loudly with a characteristic sharp sound like that of a hammer striking an anvil. The sound is so loud that it can be heard up to a mile away, being louder than a thunder. Once a female approaches him, the male starts a presentation to the female. He will present to her his purple wattle, the female will choose the most colorful males. The same tree branch is used by the male for his presentation during all his life and until the end of the breeding season, they will have attracted several females. The construction of the nests and parental care is made only by the female. She builds her nest between 6 and 10 meters from the ground in the form of a small cup and decorates it externally with lichens and fungi, which works as a camouflage. The female lays 2 eggs that are incubated by her for 23 days. They fledge after 19 days and remain with their mother for two more weeks. Sexual maturity is reached with 2 years, the time that the males develop the adult plumage and wattles. The lifespan of this species is 18 years. The Andean magnificent bellbird (Magnoprocnias andinus) is another member of the Genus Magnoprocnias. This bird inhabits the cloud forests in the slopes of the Andes, descending to lowland forests during the winter. Like all species of this genus, they are also sexually dismorphic. The male is mostly white, with brown wings. They have 37 cm of length and a wingspan of 52 cm. Their characteristic wattles are reddish-orange. The female has a plumage similar to that of the purple magnificent bellbird, but is smaller, with 31 cm of length. Another representative of this genus is the Red magnificent bellbird (Magnoprocnias puniceus). This species inhabits the Atlantic forests of Southeastern South America, reaching areas 760 m high. The males have red wattles in the face and neck. The plumage is white in the back and rump, while the chest and belly are brown. The wings are green. The females are similar to that of the other two species of the genus. The males are also larger than the females, with 40 cm of length and a wingspan of 58 cm. The females are 37 cm in length.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Wow, beautiful birds!
JOrnitho: I'll work in the descriptions of the ant-follower birds. Also, can I suggest ideas for a chapter of the project? It would be regarding the species living in the Atlantic forests of South America, both cloud and lowland forests.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Also, can I suggest ideas for a chapter of the project? Yes! Your idea about the Easter Island is already included in the plans for future! Also, the Fernando de Noronha is another chapter idea. So, you already have at least two ideas for new chapters.
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