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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.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Yes, why not? Here are the maps of neocene made by Alexander Smyslov: physical map climates Only Russian version, sorry.
wovoka: English versions are here: https://www.deviantart.com/alexsone/art/Neocene-natural-areas-map-426140482 https://www.deviantart.com/alexsone/art/Neocene-map-English-version-419704125
JOrnitho: wovoka ïèøåò: https://www.deviantart.com/alexsone/art/Neocene-natural-areas-map-426140482 This map is very useful. Thanks for the link. These lagoons and restingas are a distinct type of coastal tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest. Since this vegetation still exists in the Neocene, is very possible that these areas will exist too. In Brazil, these coastal areas are full of endemic species. Also, are the pelicans extinct?
Àâòîð: JOrnitho ïèøåò: Also, are the pelicans extinct? No, cormorants and gannets instead of them.
JOrnitho: Àâòîð ïèøåò: No, cormorants and gannets instead of them. Ok! I was thinking if it would be possible for one of these two groups give rise to a descendant that at least partially fill the pelican's niche by developing a throat pouch. They could be a sister group to Sulidae or Phalacrocoracidae.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Oh, I didn't know about the English versions (wovoka, thanks!), though I see they are far too small for effective use. You can compare them to large Russian versions.
wovoka: Áèîëîã ïèøåò: I see they are far too small for effective use You need to register on deviantart to download the large version of the map.
Áèîëîã: wovoka Thanks, guess JOrnitho will read this post of yours. By the way, the line "Conventional signs" is an awkward English for just "Map legend".
JOrnitho: After watching a documentary, I gad an idea for two species of flamingo living in South America. One breeding in Patagonia and wintering in the coastal brackish lagoons of Eastern South America, while the other is a resident in the brackish habitats of the Northern part of the continent. I'll start to work on it after I finish the hyraxes.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho OK, flamingos are also interesting. Their peculiar beaks and the ability to feed their young using their own blood could evolve further into something interesting. And, if their diet changes, the color of their feather will also change!
JOrnitho: Áèîëîã ïèøåò: Their peculiar beaks and the ability to feed their young using their own blood could evolve further into something interesting. This makes me think how the flamingos could change. I knew that in the Neocene there is a flightless species, but how the South American ones could evolve? Perhaps a change in the diet or in the way that they feed?
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho I think they could change the diet, which involves changes in the structure of beak and color of feathers.
JOrnitho: Áèîëîã ïèøåò: I think they could change the diet, which involves changes in the structure of beak and color of feathers. Maybe they evolved to feed more on the organisms living in the substrate of brackish lagoons, perhaps even more algae than animals. Their beaks could change forms, having an "upside down" appearance or like that of a pteurodaustro.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho "upside down" appearance or like that of a pteurodaustro No, I meant a spatula-like beak, resembling that of spoonbills, but short. May be additionally somewhat curved downwards, and may be with a filtering apparatus inside.
JOrnitho: Áèîëîã ïèøåò: May be additionally somewhat curved downwards, and may be with a filtering apparatus inside Yes, this possibility is interesting. If they feed more in animals of the substrate, would they remain red/pink?
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho would they remain red/pink? No, they are pink to red due to their diet.
JOrnitho: Áèîëîã ïèøåò: they are pink to red due to their diet. Since they are going to feed on the substrate, maybe they are more white to pale pink.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Yes, possibly. Even can be totally white with yellow or yellow-red beak and legs.
JOrnitho: I finished the description of the flamingo. White flamingo (Albopterus curveramphus) Order: Phoenicopteriformes Family: Phoenicopteridae Habitat: Brackish coastal lagoons of the tropical and subtropical coast of South America 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. One of these new species is the white flamingo, a descendant of the American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber). This species inhabits the brackish coastal lagoons of the tropical and subtropical coast of South America. While not migratory, these birds will migrate short distances to ensure that they get enough food or because their current habitat has been disturbed in some way, usually due to levated water levels. The white flamingo is a large wading bird, with 147 cm of height. However, some males can reach 155 cm. They have a wingspan of 140 cm. Unlike its ancestors, this bird is completely white with only its tail and rump being in a very pale shade of pink in the adults. The primary and secondary flight feathers are black. The legs and webbed feet are bright yellow. Another distinctive characteristic of the whole genus Albopterus is their curved downwards beak, which is bright yellow with a restricted black tip. The call is a goose-like honking. To eat, this species moves its bill through the soft mud located in the bottom of the brackish lagoons and filters it. This way, it collects crustaceans, molluscs, algae, microscopic organisms and insect larvae. While it had the capability of extracting the carotenoid pigments in the organisms that live in their feeding grounds, these colors don’t are widespread on their body like in their ancestors. These colors remain in areas close to the uropygial gland, which also produce a secretion that also contains carotenoids. During the breeding season, the number of carotenoid in their uropygial secretions increase and the white flamingos spread it over their feathers, giving the white feather a pinkish shade. The breeding season starts at the beginning of the dry season, when the water level of the coastal lagoons is low enough for them to make their cone-shaped nest made from mud and sticks. The white flamingo usually forms monogamous pairs when selecting a nest site, and incubating and raising young. However, trios can occur occasionally, in these cases they are formed by a male, an older female and a young one. While males usually initiate courtship, females control the process. If interest is mutual, a female walks by the male, and if the male is receptive, he walks with her. Both parties make synchronized movements until one member aborts this process. The courtship starts with males and females walking in unison with their heads raised. After some minutes doing it, they will walk at a quick pace with their heads dropped in a false feeding posture. The courtship stops at any point if either bird turns and the other does not follow, the heads are raised, unison movements are stopped, or the pace of movement is slowed. If the female is ultimately receptive to copulation, she stops walking and presents for the male. Long-term pairs do not frequently engage in courtship behaviors or in-group display. Pairs often stand, sleep, and eat in close proximity. In most pairs, both individuals usually construct and defend the nest site. In rare cases, one individual undertakes both duties. Within trios, both females will build separated nests, usually one close to the other. The male will help each female with the construction of the nests and incubating the eggs. The female lays one egg that is incubated by her and the male for 34 days. When newly hatched, the chick's bill is straight and black, but later develops a downward curve and the adult colors of beak. The feathers are white and grey and the legs are pale yellow. The parents are able to distinguish their chick from others in the colony by appearance and vocalization. Both the male and the female feed their chicks with a kind of crop milk, produced in glands lining the whole of the upper digestive tract. For the first 6 days after the chicks hatch, the adults and chicks stay in the nesting sites. At around 11 days old, the chicks begin to move out of their nests and explore their surroundings. When they are two weeks old, the chicks congregate in groups, called "microcrèches", and their parents leave them alone. After a while, the microcrèches merge into "crèches" containing thousands of chicks. Chicks that do not stay in their crèches are vulnerable to predators. After 2 months, the chicks are already fledged. The white flamingo reaches sexual maturity with 5 years and they have a lifespan of 37 years. Another representative of the Genus Albopterus is the Lesser white flamingo (Albopterus minor) this species inhabits brackish coastal lagoons of Great Antigua, Mexico and Florida Peninsula. They have 118 cm of height and 126 cm of wingspan. Their plumage is very similar to that of their Southern relatives, but the pink areas of the rump and tail are brighter. Their beaks are also totally black.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Good flamingo!
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