Short-billed Honeycreeper
Cyanerpes nitidus
Tiny, colorful bird of forest canopy. Males are bright bluish-purple with black wings, mask, and throat; females are mostly green with a blue whisker stripe, buffy throat, and white streaking on flanks. Both sexes have dark pink legs. Not common; found in canopy of lowland rainforest and forest edge, often with mixed species flocks. Probes flowers for nectar and also eats fruit. Calls are lisping and indistinct. Short bill distinguishes this species from Red-legged and Purple Honeycreepers, both of which are considerably more common; also note dark pink legs. Female is less streaked below than female Purple.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Cyanerpes nitidus
- Authority
- (Hartlaub, 1847)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Invalid/Not Found
- Genus
- Cyanerpes
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Brown-banded Puffbird
Notharchus ordii
Large, black-and-white puffbird with a brown breast patch. In addition to its brown band, note the lack of a white eyebrow, present in other black-and-white puffbirds. Found mainly in forests with sandy or rocky soil, often with stunted vegetation. In some parts of its range, it is also found in mature upland rainforest. Its song is a long, rising series of whistles, followed by a slowly descending series of stuttered whistles “wi wi woo, wi wi woo, …”.
Say's Phoebe
Sayornis saya
Medium-sized flycatcher with distinctive salmon-orange wash on the belly. Otherwise grayish-brown with a contrasting black tail. Also watch for frequent tail-wagging. Widespread and fairly common in western North America. Breeds as far north as Alaska, and winters to southern Mexico. Always in open habitats, usually on a conspicuous low perch.
Rosy-throated Longclaw
Macronyx ameliae
Beautiful pipit that is pink below and streaked brown above. The male has a bold black chest band and streaking, while the female is not as heavily marked. Found in wet grasslands, where it is generally shy and inconspicuous. Vocalizations include a two-part “dhew-dhew” call that is sometimes quickly repeated or extended into a long whistle. Separated from other longclaws by its pink underparts.
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