Lesser Kiskadee
Philohydor lictor
This flycatcher is brown above and bright yellow below with a black-and-white head pattern; very similar in plumage to a host of other species including Great Kiskadee and Rusty-margined Flycatcher. However, note Lesser Kiskadee’s smaller size, slender shape, and longer, narrower bill. Sexes alike. Found singly or in pairs, almost exclusively around slow-moving bodies of water in the lowlands of northern South America. Easy to find; tends to perch conspicuously often at eye level close to the water’s surface. Also listen for its slurred buzzy calls to help distinguish from similar species.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Philohydor lictor
- Authority
- (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1823)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Genus
- Philohydor
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
White-tailed Alethe
Alethe diademata
A forest skulker with clean-cut pale underparts, a gray wash on the side of the breast and face, and rusty brown upperparts and central crown. The tail has distinctive white tips to the outer feathers. Juvenile is heavily spotted above. A shy and inconspicuous resident in the dense understory of lowland and mid-altitude forest up to 1500 meters, found singly and in pairs; several individuals may follow ant swarms, where they lose their fear of humans. Sings a loud musical 3–4 note “whooo-wheet-whooee” and similar melodic notes; also gives harsh “chht” calls.
Bioko Speirops
Zosterops brunneus
In the field, appears overall chocolate-brown with a slightly long blue-gray bill and blue-gray legs. Plumage is paler on the flanks and vent and darker near the face. Endemic to the island of Bioko, where it is found almost exclusively in the alpine zone at the top of Pico Basilé. Calls include rapid, short “peeps” and “siks” as well as longer churring notes.
Orange-throated Tanager
Wetmorethraupis sterrhopteron
Unique and beautiful rainforest tanager known only from several remote areas of the eastern Andes in northern Peru and southeastern Ecuador. No other Andean bird has an orange throat, black upperparts, and blue wings. Most often encountered in clearings with scattered trees or at the edge of the forest. Pairs or small groups roam widely through the forest canopy, giving loud, far-carrying squeaky calls.
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