Zebra Finch

Taeniopygia guttata

Small finch with bright orange bill and a distinctive black-and-white “moustache” mark. Adult male gray above, with barred grayish bib, rusty white-spotted flanks, and black-and-white tail pattern. Female smooth gray to buff on the chest and belly; juvenile similar but with a dark gray bill. Inhabits arid inland Australia, where often found in very large flocks.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Taeniopygia guttata
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Estrildidae
Genus
Taeniopygia

Photos

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Urubamba Antpitta

Urubamba Antpitta

Grallaria occabambae

Plump, mostly terrestrial bird with long legs and a short tail found at high elevations in the eastern Andes of southern Peru. Plumage is mostly chestnut brown but is slightly paler on the belly. Similar to Leymebamba Antpitta, but larger, longer legged, and lacks gray in the plumage. The white eyering helps to separate it from Ayacucho Antpitta. Voice is also very helpful for ID; depending on location, it gives either three quick whistles with a pause after the first, or just two whistles. Also sometimes sings a longer, decelerating series of around ten notes. Usually stays well-hidden on or near the forest floor. Formerly considered a subspecies of what used to be called Rufous Antpitta.

Madagascar Cuckooshrike

Madagascar Cuckooshrike

Ceblepyris cinereus

Medium-sized, gray vanga-like bird with a black hood. The underparts are dark gray in most of the range and pale gray in the southwest. Found in all types of forest, and sometimes in scrub and plantations. Often joins mixed flocks with other mid-sized birds. Most common vocalizations are an accelerating high-pitched series and a mild, chatty series of “chew” and “tew” notes. Shows gray underparts, unlike any similar vanga. Smaller-billed than Pollen’s, Van Dam’s, and Lafresnaye’s Vangas. 

Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater

Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater

Sporophila torqueola

Sharply-patterned little bird of grassland and weedy areas in the tropical lowlands and foothills in West Mexico. Often in flocks, mixing readily with other “weed-eating” small birds. Males are warm cinnamon on the belly and rump with a black cap, black breast band, bright white collar, and small white wing patch. Females are plain brownish overall.

Start Your Bird Watching Journey

Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.