Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher
Ptiliogonys caudatus
Striking bird unlikely to be confused with any other species. Very long tail and obvious crest stand out, in addition to soft blue-gray body with yellow-green head and flanks. Sometimes seen singly, but can also gather in flocks when fruiting trees (especially mistletoe) are abundant. Found in montane forest and edges.
Identification
The long-tailed silky-flycatcher (Ptiliogonys caudatus) is a passerine bird in the family Ptiliogonatidae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
Taxonomy
Genus: Ptiliogonys; Family: Ptiliogonatidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Ptiliogonys caudatus
- Authority
- Cabanis, 1861
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Ptiliogonatidae
- Genus
- Ptiliogonys
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Lesser Goldfinch
Spinus psaltria
Tiny yellowish finch. Blackish conical bill is stout, but sharply pointed. Long wings are black with one white wingbar and large white patch at the base of the primaries. Small head. Short notched tail. Adult males have either green or black (Texas to South America) back. Regularly visits feeders. Females similar to American Goldfinch; note bill shape and color, usually more yellowish undertail coverts, less distinct wingbars, and more obvious white patch at base of primaries.
Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater
Stout bill. Short tail and stocky body. Males are glossy black with chocolate brown head. Females are gray-brown overall, without bold streaks, but slightly paler throat. Juveniles streaked brown. Found in open woods, farmland, and stockyards. Forages by walking on the ground. Often in flocks with other blackbirds in winter. Visits feeders. Unpopular due to their parasitic habit of laying eggs in nests of other birds.
Dark-breasted Spinetail
Synallaxis albigularis
Handsome spinetail of grassy areas in lowlands and foothills. Gray with chestnut crown and shoulders. Black throat spot is bordered by a white “V”. Skulks in overgrown pastures, tangled clearings, and dense scrub on young river islands, but avoids forest. Usually hard to see unless it is actively defending its territory. Song is a sharp “pik” immediately followed by a quick, rattling trill.
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