Rwenzori Hill Babbler
Sylvia atriceps
Chunky mid-sized bird with a rich-brown back, a gray breast, rufous flanks, and a black head. Found in thick and tangled portions of the understory and mid-story of montane forest, usually in pairs. Skulking bird that is most often detected by voice: a pleasant series of several fluty whistles. Similar to illadopsises, but easily separated by its all-dark head.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Sylvia atriceps
- Authority
- (Sharpe, 1902)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Sylviidae
- Genus
- Sylvia
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds

Brown Falcon
Falco berigora
Large-headed falcon with variable brownish plumage ranging from dark chocolate brown, to reddish, to tan. All have a dark moustache mark, long unfeathered lower legs, and a finely barred tail. Take care to identify dark birds from Black Falcon, which has feathered legs, and a more angular heavy-shouldered appearance. When gliding holds its wingtips up. Common resident in rural areas, often perches on power lines, fence posts. Populations tend to move when food and water is scarce.

American Barn Owl
Tyto furcata
Medium-sized owl with a heart-shaped facial disc and deep dark eyes; the only Tyto owl present across most of its range; on Hispaniola compare to Ashy-faced Owl. Varies across a wide range, but always note white-and-black speckling on the upperparts, beautiful gray-and-tawny wings, and large round head. Color of the facial disc and underparts varies from pure white to rusty orange. Hunts in open areas by night, foraging with a slow and buoyant flight. Roosts in old buildings, tree hollows, caves, and nest boxes by day. Gives a bone-chilling, rising shriek, as well as shorter rasping calls and insect-like clicks.

Black-faced Grosbeak
Caryothraustes poliogaster
Rather chunky, social bird of humid evergreen forest and edge in tropical lowlands and foothills. Usually in small and often noisy groups (at times up to 50 birds), moving at middle to upper levels in fruiting trees; not usually with mixed-species feeding flocks. Sexes look alike, with subtly attractive plumage: mustard-yellow head and breast with black face and blue-gray belly. Calls are buzzy splutters and whistles.
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