What is the benteveo, the bird that announces pregnancies, like?
The benteveo or pitogüé (its scientific name is Pitangus sulphuratus) is a species of passerine bird belonging to the Tyrannidae family. It is native to America, where it is widely distributed throughout the continent from the southern United States to central Argentina. It measures between 21 and 26 centimeters long.
It has a large head, long wings and short legs. The beak is as long as the head and ends in a hook shape. The back and tail are greenish brown. The head is black with two white stripes as eyebrows and a white throat, which gives it the appearance of having a black mask and beret.
The chest and abdomen are bright yellow and it has a hidden crown of the same color. Despite its serious appearance, it is a peaceful bird, which is only aggressive in defending its nest.. The benteveo’s diet is quite varied, such as larvae, worms, and insects that it hunts by flying, and it complements it with some fruits, small rodents and reptiles, and even fish.
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Benteveo, the bird that announces the omen of pregnancy.
The male and female are very similar and share the task of building the nest, which they make with very different materials and has a messy appearance. It is voluminous and spherical, built with dry grasses and covered externally with long straws, rags and even polyethylene bags or other artificial elements that the birds find in their path.
It has a reproduction period that extends from spring to summer. It lays two to five eggs per lay, making three or four lays per season. Incubation lasts thirteen days, and the chicks can be separated from the parents thirty-five days after birth. Its loud and shrill song is its main characteristic.