Bird Guide

Discover 20 bird species

Greater Lophorina

Lophorina latipennis

A fairly large bird of mid-montane forest, including disturbed areas with Casuarinas. Male, mainly black plumage with 2 remarkable erectile fans which are lifted up over the head during its display, metallic, blue-green, trapezium-shaped breast shield and patches above the eyes. Female has a gray-brown back with rufous flight feathers, barred underparts, a broad, black eye-stripe and white eye-brow. Female similar to female parotias, but is slightly smaller and has a dark eye. Female also similar to female Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise but is larger and has a black bill. The male’s yellow-green interior of the mouth is visible whilst it gives its piercing nasal screech.

Variable Shrikethrush

Colluricincla fortis

A chunky bird with a thick bill. Quite plain: brownish on the back, grayish on the head, and paler below, with indistinct breast streaking. Color of the underparts varies geographically from dull rufous to whitish-buff. Found at low and middle elevations in humid forest, including secondary forest. Rich, melodious, variable song consists of several penetrating whistles, generally in an up-and-down pattern. Calls include “chek” notes. Somewhat similar to Rusty Pitohui, but smaller, with a dark rather than pale eye. Also similar to Gray Shrikethrush, but smaller, shorter-tailed, and browner, with a darker face. Could be confused with female Black Shrikethrush, but always smaller and paler.

Turquoise Jay

Cyanolyca turcosa

Noisy and well-named jay of Andean cloud forest. Range is mostly confined to Ecuador, but it does reach adjacent areas of Colombia and Peru. Plumage is bright turquoise-blue with a black mask, black breast band, and whitish forecrown. Very similar to Black-collared Jay (limited range overlap), but brighter blue, especially on crown and throat. Told from Beautiful Jay by the breast band and lack of dark gray on back and breast. Small groups move conspicuously through the forest giving an impressive variety of calls, including screeches, churrs, and mews.

Wattled Lapwing

Vanellus senegallus

A large, brownish lapwing endowed with yellow wattles that have distinctive fleshy red bases. The juvenile has smaller wattles. Pairs or small groups prefer marshes and wet grasslands, as well as the flooded edges of lakes, pans, and seeps. Also be found in dry savanna, cropped and burnt grasslands, or cultivated fields. It attracts attention to itself with a loud “peep-peep-peep” call. White-crowned Lapwing is similar but is smaller, has a white belly, and lacks the red bases to the wattles.

Bacan Myzomela

Myzomela batjanensis

A small honeyeater with a short, downcurved bill. Striking male shows a scarlet head, back, and rump, a contrastingly dark tail and wings, and a whitish belly. Female and juvenile are entirely gray-brown, sometimes with a rusty-red wash on the face and throat. Females and immatures may be confused with Dusky Myzomela, but that species is larger, darker, and lacks red. Males on Obi have a reddish breast, and may represent a separate taxa. Found singly or in pairs at upper levels of montane and hill forest. Song is a short, high-pitched, and buzzy rising series, “bzze-bzee-bzee!-bzeee!-bzeet!” Also gives squeaky “bijee!” Formerly treated as a subspecies of Sulawesi Myzomela.

Blue-necked Tanager

Stilpnia cyanicollis

Small and striking tanager, looks mostly black with shining blue head and straw-colored shoulder. Sexes alike. Most similar to Masked Tanager, but has dark (not white) belly and shoulder is buffier. Quite common in Andean foothills, with a disjunct population in Brazilian lowlands. Usually found in pairs or small groups, often following a mixed-species flock through the canopy. Occurs in forests, edges, and gardens. Visits fruit feeders.

White-bibbed Babbler

Stachyris thoracica

Handsome and well-named large babbler with a snow-white “bib.” Also note blue facial skin and bright chestnut back. Crown is brownish on birds from western Java, and grayish on those from central and eastern Java. Despite large size and bright colors, can be quite skulky and difficult to see well. Hops and clambers about in dense bushes and vines in foothill forests, typically in mid-sized groups, giving dry churring rattles. Also gives a short, fluty-sounding whistle.

Yellow Canary

Crithagra flaviventris

A large canary with different-looking males and females. The male has bright yellow underparts, yellow-green upperparts, and a well-marked face pattern. The female is drab gray-brown with streaky underparts, yellowish edges of the wing feathers, and a yellow rump. Pairs and small groups occupy dry rangelands including coastal scrub, Karoo, and arid thornveld, where they are resident and nomadic, moving when food becomes scarce. The larger Brimstone Canary has a chunkier bill than Yellow Canary and prefers moist coastal thickets and woodland.

Golden Cuckooshrike

Campochaera sloetii

A medium-sized bird of foothill forest canopy and clearings, often perching out on open branches. Bright yellow belly, dirty yellow back, black tail and black wing with white lines and a white forehead. Throat and chest are black in males and gray in females. Golden Monarch is somewhat similar, but Golden Cuckooshrike is much larger and lacks the white spot below the eye. Golden Myna lacks the white line in the wing. Voice, an explosive “syup!”, double “syup-yup!” or a more rapid series.

Santa Marta Blossomcrown

Anthocephala floriceps

Small hummingbird found only in cloud forest in Colombia’s Santa Marta Mountains. Both sexes have a large, white teardrop behind the eye and pale tips to the tail. Male also has a chestnut crown. Feeds at patches of small flowers at relatively low levels. Males gather loosely in favored display areas, where they perch and sing a long series of soft chips.

Amazonian Grosbeak

Cyanoloxia rothschildii

Chunky, stout-billed bird of humid evergreen forest and edge in tropical lowlands. Occurs from throughout much of the Amazon basin (east of the Andes). Usually found in pairs, often skulking at low to middle levels in lush vegetation. In typical views, looks simply dark. Note the very stout bill and broad tail, which can be twitched side to side. Male is deep blue-black overall. Female is rich dark brown overall. Sharp squeaky call often doubled and rather distinctive.

Flutist Wren

Microcerculus ustulatus

Tiny, mouse-like bird of tepui forest understory. Entirely dark rufous-brown with a stubby tail. Found only in humid, mossy forest on tepui slopes, mostly above 1000 meters, where it is difficult to see, staying close to the ground as it crawls over roots, rocks, and large branches. Usually encountered alone and does not follow mixed-species flocks. Most easily detected by its extraordinary song: a variable series of short, pure whistles, rising and falling but usually ending with several notes on the same pitch; humanlike and easily imitated. May pop into view in response to imitation or playback, bobbing nervously before disappearing. Could be confused with Tepui Wren, but is darker brown overall and lacks buffy eyebrow.

Large-billed Gerygone

Gerygone magnirostris

Small bird with thin bill that is more substantial than most other gerygones’. Upperparts brown, underparts off-white, with pale broken eyering and bright red eye. Juvenile lacks red eye and has yellow gape (base of bill). Similar Mangrove Gerygone has smaller bill, no split eyering, and a more delicate, less frantic song; Brown Gerygone has a smaller bill, unmusical "which-is-it" song. Inhabits mangroves, thick riparian vegetation.

Cape Starling

Lamprotornis nitens

A medium-sized iridescent blue-green glossy starling that lacks dark ear-patches and has greenish flanks and belly, giving it a more uniform appearance than the “blue-eared” starlings. Pairs and small groups occupy high-altitude grassland, Karoo, and savanna, including drier habitats than other glossy starlings. The species feeds on the ground and in trees on fruit and insects; often it scavenges from people. It gives a rolling “turrreaau” flight call and harsh “karrr” alarm notes. Similar “blue-eared” starlings differ from Cape Starling by being smaller and having blue-magenta flanks and belly that give them a less uniform appearance.

Ringed Teal

Callonetta leucophrys

Small distinctive duck. Males have a pinkish breast that is spotted in black with a rich chestnut wing and a metallic green patch on the flight feathers. Note the blue bill. Females have a striking brown-and-white face pattern, and are mostly brown above and mottled or banded brown below. In flight shows dark wings with white-and-green bands. Occurs in marshes and swamps with abundant vegetation; can be even seen perched on fences or low trees.

Gray Fantail

Rhipidura albiscapa

Small songbird with long, pale-tipped tail, tiny, thin bill. Gray above, pale below, with narrow pale wingbars and a thin black border between white throat and chest. Frequently cocks and fans tail. Subspecies vary in upperparts tone and extent of white in the tail. Inhabits wide range of habitats, very active in foraging, and rarely perches in the same place for long.

White-crowned Sparrow

Zonotrichia leucophrys

Large, long-tailed sparrow with striking head pattern. Adults have black and white stripes on the head, while immatures show brown and tan. Underparts are plain grayish without streaks. Bill color varies from yellow to pink, but always brighter than White-throated Sparrow. Breeds in brushy areas or thickets in open forest, often with conifers. In migration and winter, can be found in any brushy or weedy areas, often hopping on the ground. Visits feeders.

Black-tailed Antbird

Myrmoborus melanurus

Uncommon and range-restricted in western Amazonia. This shy, secretive antbird prefers the dense, shrubby understory vegetation in seasonally flooded forests and other similar habitats. Male has uniform dark grayish plumage and blackish head. Female is generally brownish, darker in the wing coverts and tail. Note the deep red iris. 

Golden-bellied Starfrontlet

Coeligena bonapartei

Large, long-billed hummingbird restricted to the eastern Andes of Colombia, where it inhabits high elevation cloud forest. Both sexes are clad in iridescent green and gold plumage. Similar to Blue-throated Starfrontlet; male is distinguished by his golden (not purple) belly; female lacks violet on flanks and has a bronzy (not bluish) rump. Prefers long, tubular flowers where often seen feeding nearly vertically, and occasionally visits feeders. Birds from the Perijá Mountains and the Venezuelan Andes are now considered to be separate species, Perija Starfrontlet and Merida Starfrontlet respectively.

Lemon-bellied White-eye

Zosterops chloris

Bright yellowish white-eye with a disjunct island range; found from southwestern Borneo to southern Papua. Compare carefully with other local white-eyes. Favors open coastal forest, forest edge, scrubby areas, gardens, plantations, and towns; can be abundant on small islands. Song is a jumbled series of high-pitched notes; it is a common sound during early mornings and late evenings on islands. Calls include sharp descending cheeps and sparrow-like tweets.