Andean Laniisoma
Laniisoma buckleyi
One of the Holy Grails of Andean birding, this distinctive green-and-yellow species is slightly larger than a becard. Note scaled sides and breast, a long hooked bill, and large eyes. Males have a black cap with olive-green cheeks and back and bright yellow underparts. Females have a less distinct black cap and more dark scaling on the underparts. Very rare, local, and infrequently seen, with records on the east slope of the Andes from western Venezuela to Bolivia. Found in humid foothill forests where it can be seen foraging from the understory all the way to the subcanopy. The song is a very thin, high-pitched “psieeeehh,” repeated regularly.
Identification
The Andean laniisoma (Laniisoma buckleyi) is a species of passerine bird in the family Tityridae, the tityras, becards, and allies. It is found Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Taxonomy
Genus: Laniisoma; Family: Tityridae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Laniisoma buckleyi
- Authority
- (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1880)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tityridae
- Genus
- Laniisoma
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Böhm's Flycatcher
Myopornis boehmi
Distinctive, chunky flycatcher of miombo woodland. The upperparts are rich brown and the underparts are white with bold triangular spots. Generally uncommon and local in the mid-story of miombo broadleaf woodland. Often joins mixed-species feeding flocks. The quiet song consists of a series of scratchy notes.
White-lored Tyrannulet
Ornithion inerme
Small flycatcher of rainforest canopy. Olive with bright white or buffy wing bars and a gray head. Black eye line with white extending from the base of the bill to above and behind the eye. Bold wing bars help distinguish it from similar flycatchers; also, note darker olive plumage and clean facial pattern. Forages singly or in pairs in the canopy of mature rainforest, and, like many rainforest tyrannulets, can be quite inconspicuous. Listen for its voice, a slightly accelerating series of 4-5 high whistles: “pwee, pwee, pwee-pee.”
Yellow-bellied Seedeater
Sporophila nigricollis
Male is a fairly distinctive seedeater with yellow belly (sometimes very pale), dark breast and face, and brownish-olive back. Often shows some smudgy dark marks down the flanks. Bill is pale silvery. Female seedeaters are extremely difficult to identify; Yellow-bellied tends to look warmer with yellowish tones on underparts, but many are best left unidentified unless accompanied by a male. Most often found in flocks or pairs in open grassy habitats, sometimes near the edge of forest but also in agricultural areas.
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