Green-backed Twinspot
Mandingoa nitidula
Small, chunky, dark green waxbill with bright white “twin spots” across the black belly. The male has a red face, and the female a yellowish one. Found in and around forest, where it prefers dense tangles and openings with seeding grass. Distinctive call is a short, high trill, often given in flight. The rarely heard song is a complex mix of many different call types. Superficially similar to Green-winged Pytilia, but smaller, prefers forest rather than savanna habitat, and does not have a red tail.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Mandingoa nitidula
- Authority
- (Hartlaub, 1865)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Mandingoa
Range and habitat
The green-backed twinspot inhabits lowland moist forests of the tropical region. It may also be found in grassland and shrubland habitats.<p>Males are distinguished from females by their bright red facial feathers. Females have an olive-green face and darker (almost black) beak.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Archer's Robin-Chat
Dessonornis archeri
Fairly plain brown-and-orange robin-chat with a white eyebrow and a dark face. Unlike a typical robin-chat, the tail is entirely orange. Found in the understory of montane forest, especially along streams. The song is an odd and distinctive series of metallic, jangling, high-pitched notes. Similar to akalats, but lacks gray on the head. Also similar to White-bellied Robin-Chat, but distinguished by the orange belly, much bolder white eyebrow, and all-orange tail.
Pirre Hummingbird
Goldmania bella
Rare and poorly-known hummingbird with extremely limited range near the border of Panama and Colombia. The most distinctive feature on this medium-sized hummingbird is the pale rufous outer tail feathers, present on both males and females. Also note small cinnamon patch on wings. Male has glittering blue-green throat. Female is paler below with a cinnamon wash on throat. Occurs in the foothills and highlands, usually in the lower to middle levels of forest.
Pacific Flatbill
Rhynchocyclus pacificus
Shy and inconspicuous flycatcher of lowland and foothill rainforest in western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. Plumage is mostly olive with yellowish streaks on underparts, gray eyering, and brown patches in wings. Bill is very wide at the base, though this may not be evident when the bird is seen from the side. Similar to Fulvous-breasted Flatbill, but Pacific lacks tawny breast and is usually found at lower elevations. Also similar to Olivaceous Flatbill, but has brown (not yellow) in the wings. Typically found alone or in pairs at fairly low levels inside the forest, and sometimes joins mixed-species flocks.
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