Sulphur-billed Nuthatch

Sitta oenochlamys

A small bird of lowland and montane forest and edge. Unmistakable; the only nuthatch in its range. Blue above with a black edge to the wing, a black forehead, a thin black stripe behind the eye, pale pink underparts, and a yellow bill, eye, and eye-ring. Often joins mixed-species flocks. The only woodpecker similar in size is Philippine Woodpecker, but Sulphur-billed Nuthatch is blue rather than brown. Voice includes high-pitched, descending shrieking calls and sharp staccato chips.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Sitta oenochlamys
Authority
(Sharpe, 1877)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Sittidae
Genus
Sitta

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Other Birds

Pallid Dove

Pallid Dove

Leptotila pallida

A rather plain medium-sized dove, mostly restricted to western Ecuador but also occurs in western Colombia and extreme northwestern Peru. Within range, the main confusion species is White-tipped Dove. Pallid Dove has notably darker and warmer brown upperparts that contrast more with the whitish underparts. Like other members of the genus, Pallid is typically found on the ground (or flushing up into the understory). It is most often seen walking on roads or trails, or flying across quickly. There are a few places where it visits feeders. Within its limited range, it is fairly common, but be careful to separate from the equally (or more) common White-tipped Dove. Listen for its low-pitched, single “hoo” call.

Winter Wren

Winter Wren

Troglodytes hiemalis

Tiny, short-tailed, plain-brown wren with a huge voice. Subtly patterned, with indistinct pale eyebrow and diffuse dark barring on flanks and wings. Constantly keeps tail cocked at an angle. Found in a variety of forested habitats, but always prefers wetter areas with thick tangles, often around treefalls and moss. Darker, smaller, and shorter-tailed than House Wren. Incredibly beautiful song is a long series of musical whistles and trills; an unmistakable and common sound in northern forests. Call is a dry, low "chimp" remarkably similar to Song Sparrow.

White-shouldered Antshrike

White-shouldered Antshrike

Thamnophilus aethiops

Shy antshrike found in understory of lowland and foothill rainforest. Male is dark gray or black; he also has small white dots on the shoulder and a white line at the bend of the wing, but these features are not always evident in the field. Female is plain brown; on the western edge of the range, she also has a black face, throat, and tail. Usually first detected by voice: song is a soft series of evenly spaced, nasal caws.

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