Fulvous-vented Euphonia
Euphonia fulvicrissa
Small finchlike bird, compact and short tailed. Male is yellow below and dark blue-back above with stout, short bill and yellow crown. Look for the darker orangish undertail coverts that fade onto the lower belly. Females also show rufous-tinged undertail coverts as well as a rufous forecrown. Look for pairs in lowland forest and edges, usually in the middle levels. Can join mixed-feeding flocks with other species such as warblers and tanagers. Listen for the grating two-noted call.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Euphonia fulvicrissa
- Authority
- Sclater, PL, 1857
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Euphonia
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Red Shoveler
Spatula platalea
Distinctive dabbling duck: combination of very large, slightly shovel-shaped black bill and and pale blue forewing patches (brighter on male) identify all plumages. Male has a pale gray head with pale yellow eyes and a “red” body with black spots. Female is mottled brown overall, but note white sides to pointed tail, big black bill. Fairly common in wetlands and at lakes, river mouths, and sewage lagoons. Unlike many dabbling ducks, often rather quiet.
Scrub Honeyeater
Meliphaga albonotata
A medium-sized honeyeater of foothill and mid-mountain scrub. Uniform olive green with a white ear spot and indistinct streak in the base of the bill. Some geographical overlap with the similar Forest Honeyeater, the only other similar species with a white ear spot, but Scrub Honeyeater has more green in the wing and is usually in scrub rather than forest interior. Call, a “chup!” similar to other similar species or a rapid series of whistles.
Spur-winged Lapwing
Vanellus spinosus
This medium-large plover is often locally abundant, noisy, and easy to identify. Its plumage is a striking combination of black, white, and brown. It is very vocal, producing a piercing and repeated “sik-sik-sik…” call. It is found around wetlands, but also away from water in cultivated areas and even suburbia and urban settings. It forages mainly for arthropods, but also small reptiles and amphibians. Lays its eggs on the ground, and is often very aggressive against invaders to its territory, be it a crow or a falcon. Also active at night.
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