Barred Fruiteater
Pipreola arcuata
Chunky, short-tailed, flat-headed bird patterned in green and black. Male has black head and breast, pale yellow belly with bold dark barring, and mossy green upperparts with bold pale spotting on the wing. Female is similar but has a green head with barring all the way up the throat. On both sexes, note red bill and legs and pale eye varying from orange to gray to whitish. Fairly common in stunted forested habitats in the upper subtropical and temperate zone in the Andes. Sluggish; perches quietly in the middle levels of the forest, sometimes following a mixed-species flock. May be seen singly or in pairs, but several can gather around a fruiting tree. Listen for super high-pitched calls.
Identification
This bird is the largest of the fruiteaters and the only one with barred underparts in both sexes. It is a dumpy, rather sluggish bird, growing to a length of 23 cm (9 in). The male has a glossy black head and throat, and the remainder of the upper parts is greenish-brown. The tail is tipped with black and the wings have large areas of yellowish spotting. The underparts are finely barred in black and pale yellow. The head, throat and upper parts of the female are entirely greenish-brown and the underparts are similar to those of the male. Birds at the northern end of the range have orange-red irises while those at the southern end are pale grey or olive. The legs and beak are orange-red. The song is a faint, high-pitched "seeeeeeeh".
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Pipreola arcuata
- Authority
- (Lafresnaye, 1843)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cotingidae
- Genus
- Pipreola
Range and habitat
The barred fruiteater is native to mountainous parts of South America. Its range extends from Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador to Peru and Bolivia and its altitudinal range is from 2,250 to 3,300 metres (7,400 to 10,800 ft), going higher than any other fruiteater. It usually moves through the forest singly or in pairs, but at particularly fruitful trees, several birds may congregate.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Humblot's Heron
Ardea humbloti
Large, all-dark heron with a pale bill. Generally rare, and usually seen alone. Found on freshwater lakes and wetlands, along rivers, and on coastal mudflats, mostly at low elevation. Similar in size to Gray Heron, but lacks conspicuous contrast in its plumage. Also similar to Purple Heron, but larger, thicker-billed, and without striping on the neck.
Kikuyu White-eye
Zosterops kikuyuensis
A small, sharp-billed warbler-like bird. Note the olive-green back, the yellow underparts with broad olive flanks, and the very broad white spectacles around the eyes. Found in the highlands of central Kenya, in montane forest, forest edge, exotic tree plantations, and lush gardens and scrub. Usually in hyperactive pairs or flocks. Separated from similar broad-ringed white-eyes by range. Somewhat similar to African Yellow and Pale White-eyes, but found at higher elevations, and eye-ring is much broader. Song is a subdued, chatty sequence of “chew” notes. Calls include a high-pitched rising rattle, chattering notes, and “chew” notes like those from the song.
Ashy Woodpecker
Mulleripicus fulvus
A large gray-and-buff woodpecker confined to Sulawesi and nearby islands, where it is the only big woodpecker. Beady pale eye is conspicuous. Male shows extensive red on the face, absent in females, which instead show extensive white spotting on head. Juveniles have pale spotting and limited red on the face. Found in pairs or small groups on trunks and large limbs within the upper levels of forest and forest patches in the lowlands and mountains. Gives a slow, deliberate drum as well as a laugh-like trill: “kik-kik-kik-kik-kik-kik-kik-kik.”
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