Rock Wren
Salpinctes obsoletus
True to its name, almost always found in rocky areas, especially on rocky slopes. Pale grayish wren with rather long, slightly decurved bill. Also look for fine salt-and-pepper speckling on upperparts, light buffy wash on sides, and black-and-white bars on undertail coverts. Southernmost birds, especially in Honduras, are more heavily marked. Often perches conspicuously and bobs up and down. Compare with Canyon Wren, which can be found in similar habitats. Rock Wren is paler overall and lacks rich rufous tones. Listen for ringing song and calls.
Identification
Measurements:<p>They have grey-brown upperparts with small black and white spots and pale grey underparts with a light brown rump. Additional distinctive features include a light grey line over the eye, a long slightly decurved thin bill, a long barred tail and dark legs. They actively hunt on the ground, around and under objects, probing with their bill as their extraction tool. They mainly eat insects and spiders. Its song is a trill that becomes more varied during the nesting season. These birds are permanent residents in the south of their range, but northern populations migrate to warmer areas from the central United States and southwest Canada southwards. They are occasional vagrants in the eastern United States. During the breeding season, they move to dry, rocky locations, including canyons, from southwestern Canada south to Costa Rica to build cup nests in a crevice or cavity, usually among rocks.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Salpinctes obsoletus
- Authority
- (Say, 1822)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Troglodytidae
- Genus
- Salpinctes
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Red-banded Fruiteater
Pipreola whitelyi
Plump, medium-sized bird of mossy highland forests. Note red-orange bill, legs, and eyes. Plumage of both male and female are unique in range. Males are mostly greenish-gray above with contrasting brown wings and crown; they are gray below with a prominent red breast band merging into a yellow collar. Females are greenish above with a yellow nape patch, and white below with prominent green streaking from chin to belly. Found only in tepui highlands (above 1000 m) where it inhabits middle and upper levels of wet forests and seems to prefer those with heavy growth of mosses and epiphytes. As its name implies, eats fruit and is most reliably seen at fruiting trees and shrubs. Otherwise, pairs are unobtrusive, moving sluggishly between perches and sitting still for long periods; may sometimes follow mixed-species flocks. Distinctive song is a long (3–4 sec.), very high, thin whistle, falling then rising in pitch, and given at long intervals; pair contact calls are short peeping notes.
Lesser Flamingo
Phoeniconaias minor
The smallest flamingo in the world, with a dark bill and red legs. Note glowing red eyes in adults. Juveniles are gray-brown and darker than young Greater Flamingos. Found in alkaline lakes and coastal lagoons, where gathers in huge flocks to eat microscopic blue-green algae. Breeds on remote flats sheltered from predators. Migrates and breeds in response to changing environmental conditions.
Caroline Islands Ground Dove
Pampusana kubaryi
Beautiful dark velvet dove with a pristine white face, throat, and breast. Endemic to Chuuk and Pohnpei, in the Caroline Islands group. Inhabits forested areas, including disturbed patches adjoining agriculture. Forages actively on or close to the ground. Unlike many other doves and pigeons, flushes more or less silently; typically flies only a short distance when flushed.
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