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Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith and Arne Lesterhuis and is used with permission.
SOUTHERN SCREAMER Chauna torquata
And boy can these things scream! Screamers are unusual birds surprisingly enough related to ducks, that are found in pairs in wetland areas. Though they look clumsy and slightly obese, they are graceful fliers, soaring to great heights on thermals - aided by a unique layer of air between their skin and their muscle which acts like an inner-tube to keep them afloat. Despite being a large bird that would presumably make a good meal, they were never hunted by the Guaraní who believe their flesh tastes of soap. According to their legend the gods turned a pair of cruel washer women into Screamers after they offered the thirsty god of the moon a glass of soapy water to drink.They now lament their fate for all eternity.
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE243PH) Adult domesticated, Cruce los Pioneros, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE244PH) Adult, Campo Maria Private Reserve, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur (Paul Smith July 2006).
FIGURE 3 - (FPAVE245PH) Pair, Fuerte Olimpo, Departamento Alto Paraguay (Paul Smith September 2006).
FIGURE 4 - (FPAVE246PH) Adult head detail, Zoologico Juan XXIII, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith June 2007).
FIGURE 5 - (FPAVE247PH) Adult incubating, location unknown (Arne Lesterhuis undated).
FIGURE 6 - (FPAVE248PH) Nest with eggs, location unknown (Arne Lesterhuis undated).
FIGURE 7 - (FPAVE249PH) Egg detail, location unknown (Arne Lesterhuis undated).
VIDEO A - (FPAVE250VI) Same individuals as (FPAVE245PH)  (Paul Smith September 2006).
VIDEO B - (FPAVE251VI) Adult taking flight from a nest, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur, Departamento Presidente Hayes  (Paul Smith October 2010).
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Chauna torquata
1 (FPAVE252RE)  Isolated calls  recorded Laguna Bombacha, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith March 2007).
2 (FPAVE253RE)  Isolated calls  recorded Estancia 11 de Junio, Departamento Alto Paraguay (Myriam Velázquez April 2000).
Click the link to hear the call. Longer versions of this call can be downloaded from the Paraguay page of our partner website Xeno-Canto - the largest collection of freely downloadable Neotropical bird calls available online.