Foi muito legal ver mais um Picanco-rabilongo, nesse caso muito mais proximo do que o que vimos anteriores, cantando a plenos pulmoes.Quando chegamos no reservatorio, foi bom ver esses Patos-assobiadores-de-faces-brancas.Estes belos patos sao classificados como Least Concern na Lista Vermelha da IUCN, mostrando de fato uma tendencia de aumento populacional, em decorrencia da criacao de corpos de agua artificiais (e.g. reservatorios de fazendas) e do aumento do cultivo de graos, que eles usam como alimento. Entretanto, algumas populacoes estao diminuindo. Sua populacao global estimada varia de 1.700.000 a 2.800.000 individuos. Um fato curioso sobre esta especie e que ela apresenta movimentos nomades locais imprevisiveis (Johnsgard, P. A. 1978. Ducks, geese and swans of the World. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London), relacionados a variacao na disponibilidade de agua e alimentos.Eles sao predados por Aguias Pescadoras Africanas. Havia uma cacando na Transport Dam quando estavamos la. Adivinha o que a aguia estava cacando?Este pato e cacado para consumo e comercio local em Malawi (Bhima, R. 2006. Subsistence use of waterbirds at Lake Chilwa, Malawi. In: Boere, G.; Galbraith, C., Stroud, D. (ed.), Waterbirds around the world, pp. 255-256. The Stationary Office, Edinburgh, UK) e Botswana (Herremans, M. 1998. Conservation status of birds in Botswana in relation to land use. Biological Conservation 86: 139-160). Ele tambem e cacado e comercializado em mercados de medicina tradicional na Nigeria (Nikolaus, G. 2001. Bird exploitation for traditional medicine in Nigeria. Malimbus 23: 45-55).Por fim, esta e uma ave que une a America do Sul e a Africa! Ele procria nos dois continentes. Tambem e encontrado em Madagascar e nas Ilhas Comoro. No sul da Africa, e um dos patos mais comuns.It was also great to see one moreMagpie Shrike, in this case much closer than the previous one we saw, in fullsinging.When we arrived at the dam, it wasgreat to see these White-faced ducks.Thesebeautiful ducks are classified as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List, showingin fact a trend of population increase, as a result of the creation of artificialwater bodies (e.g. farm dams) and the growing of grain crops, which are used bythem as food. However, some populations are decreasing. Its estimated global populationranges from 1,700,000 to 2,800,000 individuals. Acurious fact about this species is that it shows unpredictable local nomadicmovements (Johnsgard, P. A. 1978. Ducks, geese and swans of the World.University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London) related to variations inwater and food availability. Itis predated by African-Fish Eagles. There was one hunting at Transport Dam whenwe were there. What was the eagle hunting? Guess...Thisduck is hunted for local consumption and trade in Malawi (Bhima, R. 2006.Subsistence use of waterbirds at Lake Chilwa, Malawi. In: Boere, G.; Galbraith,C., Stroud, D. (ed.), Waterbirds around the world, pp. 255-256. The StationaryOffice, Edinburgh, UK) and Botswana (Herremans, M. 1998. Conservation status ofbirds in Botswana in relation to land use. Biological Conservation 86: 139-160).It is also hunted and traded at traditional medicine markets in Nigeria(Nikolaus, G. 2001. Bird exploitation for traditional medicine in Nigeria.Malimbus 23: 45-55). Finally,this is a bird that unites South America and Africa! It breeds