Russet-winged Spadebill

A large, heavy-billed songbird. Male is uniform slaty gray with a black crown, throat, and chest. Female is entirely slaty gray with no black markings. Singles and pairs inhabit forests and edges, including mangroves. Confined to the Banggai and Sula Islands. Bigger and heavier-billed than Sula and Common Cicadabirds, and lacks extensive pale edgings in wings. Differentiated from cicadabirds by male’s black crown and female’s lack of black facial markings. Vocalizations include a nasal “weeerrr,” repeated soft “chuk” notes, and a short buzzing rattle, “clrrrrrr.”

This well-named little bird is found in the Andean foothills and adjacent lowlands from Venezuela to northern Argentina. Males and females are both equally drab, entirely medium brown with no distinctive markings. In most of range bill is bicolored, but in central and northern Colombia has an all dark bill. Very similar to females of several other seedeater and grassquit species, but in most of range note Dull-colored Grassquit’s bicolored bill. Uncommon and sometimes tricky to find as it forages inconspicuously in shrubbery at the forest edge or in gardens and second growth. Usually in pairs or small flocks. Listen for buzzy sputtering song that seems rushed.

Small and rather drab. Brown above, darkest on head and wings. Grayish-buff below with a grayer throat. Can appear uniformly gray in dull forest light. Dark eye lacks a white eye-ring. Most common in forest but also found in forest edge and brush. Giant White-eye similar but overall darker, with thick orange bill and pale yellowish eyebrow. Dusky’s most common call is a “cheee.”