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White-browed Blackbird
Leistes superciliaris | Vieillot, 1817

PHOTO: Property of Native / Embrapa

Characterization: This bird measures 18cm in length. The male's plumage is black on top. The red on its upper coverts stands out on its wings in flight, when the bird is seen from behind, it has a clear white post-ocular stripe. The female in the field is indistinguishable from the northern variety, i.e. it is brown, its chest has traces of red, a large creamy colored supra-ocular stripe.

Distribution: It occurs from Argentina to southern Peru and throughout most of the extra-Amazonian Brazil.

Habitat: It inhabits swamps and moist undergrowth fields. It likes deforested areas and invades crop fields, airports, and landfills.

Habits: Often in flight, it hovers down with wide open wings and tail. On the ground it walks around erect. It uses the technique of protracting its food.

Diet: In addition to seeds and insects, its diet also consists of sprouts of herbaceous plants.

Breeding: This bird's nest is a small, open basket built on the ground, hidden beneath the grass. The eggs are elongated and have very thick shells.

In the UFRA area: In the studies carried out at UFRA areas, this species of bird had a restricted spatial distribution. It only was seen in the floodplains with herbaceous plants. It is considered little frequent, as it was spotted only 8 times.