Mimus saturninus modulator - Chalk-browed Mockingbird (Gould, 1836)

Aves: Passeriformes: Passeri: Passerida: Muscicapoidea: Mimidae

Date: 19th of August, 2017 at 12:05:08pm.
Location: Brazil, Santa Catarina, Benedito Novo

Size: ~23,5cm to 26cm.
Weight: ~55 to 73 grams.

The subspecies modulator identification credits go to my dearly loved friend Marina de Azevedo Guerra and to my friend João Paulo.

The chalk-browed mockingbird belongs in the order Passeriformes, suborder Passeri, parvorder Passerida, superfamily Muscicapoidea and family Mimidae.

The species are distributed in most of Brazil, and a few parts in Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina and Bolivia.

There are four subspecies, distributed as follows:

Mimus saturninus saturninus (Lichtenstein, 1823) - South of Suriname and North of Brazil in the states of Amapá and Southwest of Pará;
Mimus saturninus arenaceus (Chapman, 1890) - Occurs in the Northwest of Brazil in the states of Paraíba, Alagoas and Bahia;
Mimus saturninus frater (Hellmayr, 1903) - Occurs from the North of Bolivia until the Southwest and Northwest of Brazil;
Mimus saturninus modulator (Gould, 1836) - Occurs from the Southwest of Bolivia until the South of Brazil (includes Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina), Uruguay, Paraguay and North of Argentina.

Adults measure from 23,5cm to 26cm in length and weight around 55 to 73 grams. They sing characteristic songs for warning or anger when the situation demands it. This bird can have leucism, a recessive gene which confers the individual with a white plumage.

Mimus saturninus modulator are omnivorous, but feed primarily on invertebrates and fruits. They love the fruits of Alchornea glandulosa. They help propagate many species of plants; the seeds ingested by this bird are not digested and are excreted unharmed. They can also feed on the eggs of other birds, acting as nest scavengers, and are also occasionally seen preying on the offspring of other birds. They can also feed on meat.

Up to 3 or 4 eggs are layed at a time. The eggs are greenish-blue and are sprinkled with rust-colored spots. Mimus saturninus are known to incubate the eggs of other birds. When reproducing, members of the same species protect the territory and the nest from other birds and animals, give assistance during the incubation process and confer feeding.

They are often seen in fields, parks and in rural zones. Mimus saturninus do not display sexual dimorphism. They are able to mimic the sounds other birds make.

Their habitats are savannas, forest edges, woodlands with scattered trees and anthropic environments.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalk-browed_mockingbird
http://eol.org/pages/4421892/overview
http://www.wikiaves.com.br/sabia-do-campo
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabiá-do-campo
http://apassarinhologa.com.br/sabia-campo-mimus-saturninus/