Bar-winged Wren-Babbler
Spelaeornis troglodytoides
Beautifully patterned ground-dweller of mountainous temperate forests with thick undergrowth. Tangerine-colored with a pale throat, black-and-white barred wings and tail, and star-like pale spots all over a darker head and back. Forages in the leaf litter and on the bases of tree trunks, sometimes in pairs and small flocks. Spotted patterning bears a passing resemblance to that of Spotted Elachura, which is dark brown overall with a far shorter tail. Song is a rolling series of high-pitched, slightly hoarse notes.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Spelaeornis troglodytoides
- Authority
- (Verreaux, J, 1871)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Timaliidae
- Genus
- Spelaeornis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Yellow-browed Seedeater
Crithagra whytii
A chunky medium-sized seedeater, brown above and pale below with heavy streaking. Patches of yellow appear on several parts of the body, including the eyebrows, breast, and edges of the wing and tail feathers. Found locally along forest edges and in moist scrub and bracken. Can be similar to female or immature Yellow-crowned Canary but larger, heavier-billed, and more streaked below, with a different distribution of yellow. Also somewhat similar to Reichard’s Seedeater, but easily distinguished by the yellow markings. The song is a fast-paced and variable mix of twitters and whistles. The most common call is a rising whiny whistle.
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Large, ubiquitous yellow-bellied flycatcher found throughout most of Middle and South America, though tends to be uncommon at the far northern end of its range in the U.S. A classic “telephone wire” bird along roadsides and in towns. Prefers open areas with some trees and water. Most abundant in lowlands and foothills, but ventures up to over 3,000m in some parts of range. Listen for sharp, high-pitched twitters. Nearly identical to Couch’s Kingbird, which overlaps from Texas to Belize; best separated by voice. Larger and longer-billed than Western and Cassin’s Kingbird; also note paler brownish tail. Also very similar to White-throated (longer, forked tail) and Snowy-throated (dark mask) Kingbirds in some parts of South America.
Bohemian Waxwing
Bombycilla garrulus
Plump, smooth-plumaged bird with a sleek crest and white and yellow markings on wings. Mostly clean gray with brighter rusty wash on the face. Look for rich rufous undertail. Breeds in open coniferous forests at high latitudes across the Northern Hemisphere. Winter range depends on fruit crops; sometimes descends much further south in large numbers. Often found in flocks feasting on fruiting trees like crabapple and mountain ash. Listen for their ringing trills, often given while flying overhead. Compare with Cedar Waxwing in North America and Japanese Waxwing in Asia; Bohemian is larger and grayer, with a different wing pattern and no yellow on the belly.
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