Lesser Hornero

Furnarius minor

The smallest hornero. Plumage rusty overall with a white eyebrow, a gray crown,  and a white throat. Note the gray legs. Found in scrub on river islands and occasionally in human-modified habitats near major rivers. Forages walking on the ground, especially at the water’s edge. The song is a series of fast staccato “kee” notes, usually given in duet. Other horneros with overlapping distributions have longer and louder songs.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Furnarius minor
Authority
Pelzeln, 1858
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Furnariidae
Genus
Furnarius

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Yellow-crowned Canary

Yellow-crowned Canary

Serinus flavivertex

Colorful seedeater with an olive-green back, black wings with two yellow wingbars, and a mostly yellow head and underparts. Females and immatures are duller, with more brown tones and streaking. Found in open montane habitats including grassland, cultivation, forest edge, and heath. The song is a high-pitched, twittering jumble. Similar to White-bellied Canary, but found in different habitat, has bolder wingbars, and lacks a moustache facial mark.

American Oystercatcher

American Oystercatcher

Haematopus palliatus

Large, bulky shorebird with thick red bill. Unmistakable, striking plumage. Exclusively coastal; favors beaches where it feeds on shellfish and other invertebrates; less frequent in rocky areas. Gathers in flocks during migration and winter. Listen for loud yelps and whistles, often in a rapid series when excited. Hybrids with Black Oystercatcher occur locally in southern California and Baja; look for messy spotting where the black hood meets the white belly (sometimes very limited but often quite extensive).

Makira Dwarf-Kingfisher

Makira Dwarf-Kingfisher

Ceyx gentianus

A small kingfisher with deep purplish-blue upperparts and clean white underparts, a white neck spot, and bright orange legs. Bill is black. Prefers mature forest, not necessarily near water, often perching low. No other dwarf-kingfisher shares its range. Told from Little Kingfisher by orange legs and lack of blue on chest. Call apparently nearly identical to that of other Melanesian dwarf-kingfishers: a high-pitched, weak repetitive whistle, often given in flight.

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