Green Barbet
Cryptolybia olivacea
Chunky olive-green barbet. The head pattern varies geographically, from uniform olive-green, to olive-green with a yellow or buff ear patch, to black with a yellow ear patch. Found in the canopy of lowland and montane forest, often in the vicinity of fruiting trees. Sometimes perches out on dead trees, though otherwise inconspicuous. Call is a repeated, wooden “chak”. Similar overall coloration, but much larger than green tinkerbirds.
Identification
They have dull ginger-olive plumage, but are yellower on the wings, and paler below. The head and chin are dark brown in the nominate race, and the eyes vary from dull red to orange. The bill is black and the feet blackish. Juveniles are duller, with brown eyes.
Taxonomy
The number of races (or species) is not generally agreed upon, and the conservation status of the taxa depends critically on their taxonomic evaluation. Race C. o. hylophona is sometimes merged with woodwardi in a taxon with tentative species status, the so-called Woodward's barbet. These birds have the ear coverts and hind brow marked in yellow, as opposed to the dusky-headed populations. The type was obtained from oNgoye Forest in South Africa, and named for its discoverers, the Woodward brothers. C. o. belcheri, which lacks the yellow ear coverts, is endemic to two isolated inselbergs, and may constitute a third species.
- Scientific name
- Cryptolybia olivacea
- Authority
- (Shelley, 1880)
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Cryptolybia
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Pale-vented Pigeon
Patagioenas cayennensis
Large pigeon of marshy savannas, riversides, open areas with scattered trees, locally even in towns, such as Villahermosa, Mexico. Gray head contrasts with pinkish body, and whitish belly does not contrast strongly with plain grayish tail; compare darker Red-billed Pigeon, which often occurs in same areas but prefers drier and more forested habitats. Also note black bill of Pale-vented, and subtly distinctive song: after long introductory coo, repeated phrase is typically a 3-syllable "who’koo-koo", unlike 4-syllable "oo’koo-koo-koo" of Red-billed.
Solitary Sandpiper
Tringa solitaria
Medium-sized shorebird. Gray above and white below, with fine white speckling on wings and bold white spectacles. Note dark underwing and dark rump in flight. Smaller and shorter-legged than Lesser Yellowlegs, with duller greenish legs. Often alone, but multiple individuals may gather loosely in appropriate habitat. Tips body like Spotted Sandpiper, but less constantly and not as quick and dramatic. Breeds around ponds and marshes in the boreal forest; uses old songbird nests in trees, unlike most other shorebirds. In migration and winter, mostly seen on small bodies of water like muddy ponds, lake edges, and slow-moving streams. Extensive winter range throughout Central and South America. Listen for piercing, high-pitched “tsee-weet!” call.
Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker
Pachyglossa melanozantha
Snappy-looking male is black with a white throat and yellow belly. Two black patches on either side of the chest give him a “vested” appearance. Female is soft brown above with a darker tail and wingtips, and a pale-yellow belly which blends gradually into the breast. The female also has a vest, but it is fainter and less eye-catching than the male’s. Found from lower foothills up into montane areas, where it inhabits open areas with tall growth, particularly edges and clearings. Like other flowerpeckers, favors mistletoe.
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