Southern screamer

Chauna torquata

Photo by Cláudio Timm (Wikipedia)

Common name:

southern screamer (en); tachã (pt); kamichi à collier (fr); chajá (es); halsband-wehrvogel (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Anseriformes

Family Anhimidae

Range:

This South American species is found in south-eastern Peru, northern Bolivia,Paraguay, southern Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina.

Size:

Southern screamers are 83-95 cm long and have a wingspan of 170 cm. They weigh 4-4,5 kg.

Habitat:

These birds are found in marshes, grasslands and lagoons.

Diet:

The diet of the southern screamer consists of plants stems, seeds, leaves, and, rarely, small animals.

Breeding:

These birds are monogamous, forming stable relationships that last their lifetime. They breed in September-December, building a large stick and reed nest on the ground near shallow water. There the female lays 2-7 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 43-46 days. The chicks leave the nest within a few hours, and fledge 8-10 weeks after hatching. The parents care for the young and they only become fully independent 14 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status – LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population of 100.000-1.000.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.