Black Partridge

Local but often quite common in the Andes, favoring dry and rather open scrubby habitats, and also agricultural areas with hedges and taller trees. Large, bulky stick nests are often conspicuous in cacti and even in taller Eucalyptus trees. Often in pairs, foraging low to high in bushes and trees and running well on the ground with tail held cocked. Best identified by plain pale breast with variably contrasting rusty to buffy flanks and rump and a mostly dark tail. Plumage and voice vary regionally and multiple cryptic species likely involved.

Large, chunky antbird. Male is uniformly sooty black with pale blue skin around the eye. Female is warm dark brown above and gray below, and also has blue skin around the eye. Occurs in pairs in the understory of mature lowland forest in the Amazon basin, east of the Andes. Can be seen in the vicinity of army ant swarms. Look for the tail being pumped down and raised slowly up.

Medium-sized, beautifully-patterned francolin. Shows rufous patches in the wings in flight. Found on the ground in areas with thick grass, ranging from pure grassland to lush woodland. Mostly at low and moderate elevations, but sometimes found in high mountain grassland. Call is a rhythmic up-and-down repeated “chil-it, chil-chow”. Generally scarce, shy, and retiring. Range does not overlap extensively with similar francolins. Combination of complex facial pattern and belly heavily barred black-and-white are always diagnostic. Much more cleanly and boldly marked than the more washed-out and buffy Whyte’s Francolin.