Sun Lark
Galerida modesta
A chunky, robust lark that has a heavy bill with a yellowish base, a densely streaked chest, and a small crest that is sometimes raised. A resident or partial migrant occupying arid open scrub, dry wooded grassland, and fields, where pairs and small groups walk confidently, pecking or digging for seeds and insects. Sits on low perches or trees issuing a characteristic song: a rolling, trilling “tseee-dee-ree-lee” that often includes imitations, sometimes given in flight.
Taxonomy
Four subspecies are recognized:
- Scientific name
- Galerida modesta
- Authority
- Heuglin, 1864
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Alaudidae
- Genus
- Galerida
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Western Bluebill
Spermophaga haematina
A stout-billed, boldly patterned finch of forest understory and overgrown areas near the forest edge, often found near water. Can occur alone or in mixed-species flocks. Note the blue bill, the bright red underparts, and the black back. Males have black heads and bellies, whereas females have red faces and white-spotted black bellies. Western Bluebill is the only bluebill or seedcracker in which the male has a black head. Calls include high-pitched whistles: “psiu.” Songs include longer series of clear whistles with varying pitch.
Peruvian Screech-Owl
Megascops roboratus
Small screech-owl restricted to dry forests of western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. Note yellow eyes, small ear tufts, and vertical stripes on underparts. Overall plumage coloration ranges from brown to bright cinnamon. Very similar in plumage to several other screech-owls, and best identified by range, habitat, and voice. Typical song is a fast, gargling trill; also gives soft yaps.
Ochre-breasted Pipit
Anthus nattereri
Fairly distinctive for a pipit: blackish-brown above, including the wings, with bright golden feather edgings giving it a boldly streaked appearance. The chest and flanks are buff and lightly streaked. Look for the buffy-yellow eyebrow. Mostly encountered in well-preserved natural grasslands, favoring short grass areas that have regenerated after fires. Gives a series of sharp twittering notes ending with a slurred “eeeeeeeur.”
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