Inca Flycatcher

Leptopogon taczanowskii

Fairly small flycatcher that perches upright in the mid-story of montane forest and cloud forest. Subtly colorful, with a diffuse gray facial pattern. Look for the warm buffy orange wash on the breast and faint orange wingbars. Warmer orange coloration and lack of a gray crown or strong facial pattern help distinguish it from the similar Slaty-capped Flycatcher, which it replaces at higher elevations. Forages singly or in pairs, occasionally joining mixed-species flocks; has the unusual habit of quickly raising one wing at a time behind its back.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Leptopogon taczanowskii
Authority
Hellmayr, 1917
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Tyrannidae
Genus
Leptopogon

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Perija Starfrontlet

Perija Starfrontlet

Coeligena consita

Large, long-billed hummingbird found only in the Perijá Mountains along the border between Colombia and Venezuela. It is the only hummer in its limited range with buffy wing patches. Male has a golden belly, blue throat patch, and glittering green forehead. Female lacks those features but has a buffy throat. Formerly treated as a subspecies of Golden-bellied Starfrontlet. Inhabits cloud forest at high elevations, and often seen probing long, tubular flowers.

Philippine Swiftlet

Philippine Swiftlet

Aerodramus mearnsi

Uncommon dark swiftlet. Endemic to a smattering of the Philippines islands, from Luzon to Mindanao to Palawan. Habitat can be helpful in identifying this confusing species; generally favors ridges and slopes in montane and submontane areas above 700-800 meters. Readily confused with significantly larger Ameline Swiftlet, but present species has a more squared-off-looking tail (fork is shallow and often unnoticeable), tends to fly lower and more erratically, and more often forms flocks. Combination of dark rump, unglossed dark back, and medium size separates this species from Gray-rumped Swiftlet, Pygmy Swiftlet, and Ridgetop Swiftlet. Frequently calls while in flight, giving a squeaky chattering twitter.

Blue-cheeked Jacamar

Blue-cheeked Jacamar

Galbula cyanicollis

Distinctive, oddly proportioned bird, with a small head and long needle-like bill. Green above and rusty below, with blue cheeks. The amount of black on the yellow bill is variable. Usually seen sitting quietly in the lower levels of humid forest and sometimes seasonally flooded forests, where it captures prey by flycatching. Sings a high-pitched “peea peea-pee-pee-te-t-t-e’e’e’e’e’e” that accelerates gradually and ends with a rattling trill.

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