Melanocephala Carpornis, Black-headed Berryeater. Photo: Tasso Leventis, 2008.

I am using this post to show some of the fabulous photos I have received from Tasso Leventis, the distinguished bird conservationist and photographer, who visited Sítio do Cervo briefly in April. This shot of the threatened Black-headed Berryeater, mentioned many times in this blog, was taken just next to the barbeque area beside the house, where it flew into a tree after playback of its distinctive descending-whistle call. It is generally very hard to photograph, because it stays motionless in the inner branches of a tree, usually deep in the forest.

Conopophaga melanops, Black-cheeked Gnateater. Photo: Tasso Leventis, 2008.

The Black-cheeked Gnateater is one of the most commonly-seen of the under-storey species encountered on the trails through the forest. It gives away its presence with a loud call and hops around on low branches, often within two metres or so of where you are, pausing long enough to get great pictures like this one.

Chiroxiphia caudata Swallow-tailed Manakin. Photo: Tasso Leventis 2008.

More usually referred to as Blue Manakin, this endemic species is often heard at the forest edge, with its distinctive sharp call, but is a bit more difficult to see. This is an immature male, not yet with the bright blue plumage of the adult, but distinguishable from the female by its red-orange crown.

Thryothorus longirostris, Long-billed Wren. Tasso Leventis, 2008

The Long-billed Wren is another bird we hear much more than we see. Its melodious voice is used in a variety of different songs and calls, and can be heard almost constantly from dense vegetation in the undergrowth, but it is a challenge to find and photograph.

Melanerpes flavifrons Yellow-fronted Woodpecker. Photo: Tasso Leventis, 2008

This small, endemic woodpecker species is nearly always seen in groups of three or four, moving restlessly around the open areas of the farm, and often feeding on the bananas close to the house. They chatter noisily to one another in a quick, four-syllable call that gives rise to the Portuguese name Benedito, bobbing their heads in a comical manner.

Ramphastos vitellinus Channel-billed Toucan, and (middle) Ramphastos dicolorus Red-breasted Toucan. Photo: Tasso Leventis 2008

In competition for the emblem species of Sítio do Cervo. This great photo shows a typical gathering of these toucans in the upper branches of a tree on the edge of the forest overlooking the farm. The channel-billed species typically gather in groups of 15 or more, their distinctive screeches echoing around the forest, while the red-breasted, sounding a harsher squawk, appear in smaller numbers, often mixed in with their darker-billed cousins.

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