White-shouldered Antbird
Akletos melanoceps
Large, chunky antbird. Male is jet black with a small white shoulder patch (sometimes difficult to see) and blue skin around the eye. Female is a striking rufescent-brown with a black hood and blue skin around the eye. Occurs in pairs in the dense understory of forest in the lowlands of the Amazon basin, east of the Andes. Look for the tail being pumped down and raised slowly up. Listen for the loud, ringing song.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Akletos melanoceps
- Authority
- (Spix, 1825)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thamnophilidae
- Genus
- Akletos
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds

Razorbill
Alca torda
Black-and-white seabird with a thick and blunt bill. Breeds in colonies on rocky islands; winters on the ocean. Black above and white below with thin white line in front of eye. In winter, white throat wraps up behind eye, but pattern is less crisp than on Common Murre. Similar to other murres but note different bill shape and longer tail that is sometimes held up. Found singly or in flocks. Sometimes seen from shore in large numbers following the passage of a winter storm. Frequently dives underwater searching for fish.

Rufous-backed Sibia
Leioptila annectens
Ebony head and snowy throat, combined with the hazy mixture of bright orange and black on the back, give this bird a distinctly “tortoiseshell” appearance. Appears larger-headed and slightly shorter-tailed than other sibias. Inhabits foothill and montane forests, where it travels in pairs and flocks through the canopy. Unlike other sibias, frequently clambers around on tree trunks and branches like a nuthatch. Listen for its lovely warbled song and buzzy chattering calls.

Purus Jacamar
Galbalcyrhynchus purusianus
Distinctive dark jacamar with a heavy bill and short tail. Deep chocolate brown, with a pinkish bill and reddish skin around the eye. Sexes similar. Forages in pairs and groups in trees around marshes, including around the edges of oxbow lakes. Its call is a piercing whistled “PEER”; Paradise Jacamar has a similar but weaker call.
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