Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch

Fringilla polatzeki

Endemic to the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. Medium-sized finch with a strong and heavy bill, broken white eyering, and bold white wing-bars. Male is a striking dark blue-gray while female is brown-gray. Largely restricted to montane pine forests. Song is a repetitive, accelerating series; call is a quiet, rising “weep.”

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Fringilla polatzeki
Authority
Hartert, EJO, 1905
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Fringillidae
Genus
Fringilla

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
rising

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Canebrake Groundcreeper

Canebrake Groundcreeper

Clibanornis dendrocolaptoides

Large, long-tailed ovenbird, rusty above and grayish below. Note the buff eyebrow and black spots at the sides of the throat. Found in montane forest and old second growth; often associated with bamboo or dense understory, usually near streams. Behavior poorly known, but forages in pairs both arboreally and terrestrially. Song is a loud series of staccato notes.

Rüppell's Warbler

Rüppell's Warbler

Curruca ruppeli

Fairly large Curruca warbler. Male is distinctive with a black bib and blackish head separated by prominent white moustache. Female has a pale or slightly darker throat. Wing coverts are well-patterned with dark centers and pale fringes. Note rather long bill. Breeds in Mediterranean scrub habitats, usually on rocky mountain sides covered with dense bushes. Non-breeding habitat is likewise scrubby and dry. Song is a scratchy whistle, usually starts with a quick metallic trill. Calls are a metallic "trrrrr" or "chak."

Mallard

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

A large duck, generally common and familiar within its extensive range. Males are distinctive with iridescent green head, yellow bill, chestnut breast, and gray body. Females are mottled brown with orange and black splotches on the bill. Found anywhere with water, including city parks, backyard creeks, and various wetland habitats. Often in flocks, and frequently mixes with other duck species. In North America, females can be tricky to distinguish from American Black Duck, Mottled Duck, and Mexican Duck where ranges overlap. Those species are all darker-bodied than Mallard. A good view of the wing can be helpful, too: white wingbars on the leading and trailing edges of the blue wing patch are bolder on Mallard. Frequently hybridizes with those species, which can be even more confusing. Any bird with extensive white in the tail or curled feathers above the tail has some Mallard genes.

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