Orangequit
Euneornis campestris
A small inhabitant of moist woodlands where it feeds on nectar and fruit. Note the short and slightly down-curved bill. Males are glossy plumbeous blue with a brick-orange throat but can appear black in poor lighting. Females have a warm brown back that contrasts with a deep gray crown. The Jamaican Euphonia is superficially similar, but has a stubby bill and a greenish back. Vocalizations include a high, thin “tsit-tsit,” with the second note louder and higher in pitch, plus a thin, descending whistled “tsee-uh.”
Taxonomy
The orangequit was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Motacilla campestris. Linnaeus based his description on the "American Hedge-Sparrow" that George Edwards had described and illustrated in his 1750 work, A Natural History of Uncommon Birds, from a specimen collected in Jamaica. The species was moved to the genus Euneornis by the Austrian zoologist Leopold Fitzinger in 1856. The genus name Euneornis combines the Ancient Greek eu meaning "good" with the genus Neornis introduced by Edward Blyth in 1845 and now a junior synonym of Cettia. The specific epithet campestris is Latin and means "of the fields". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.<p>Its common name is derived from its orange throat and the English word quit, which refers to small passerines of tropical America; cf. grassquit, bananaquit.
- Scientific name
- Euneornis campestris
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Spindalidae
- Genus
- Euneornis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Gorgeted Sunangel
Heliangelus strophianus
Unmistakable; glittering pinkish-purple throat is distinctive in good light, but also note the snowy white chest band, which is always obvious. Medium-sized with a rather short, straight bill. Like other sunangels, holds wings out for a few seconds after it lands. Based on plumage, could be confused with Purple-throated Woodstar, but the sunangel is larger with a much different flight style. The only sunangel within limited range on the west slope of Andes; occurs mostly in Ecuador, but barely extends into Colombia. Occurs in a rather narrow elevational band in the upper subtropical zone from around 1,700 to 2,300 m. Can be seen at all levels in the cloud forest, edges, and gardens, but most frequently at middle heights within the forest. Visits feeders.
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Contopus cooperi
Stocky flycatcher that almost always perches conspicuously on a high bare perch with an upright posture. From the front, look for dark sides creating a vest, with a bright white stripe from throat to belly. White patches on the sides of rump are sometimes visible from behind. Most similar to pewees but larger and larger-billed, with more contrasting vest. Feeds on insects. Breeds in clearings and bogs in boreal or mountainous forests, but can be found in migration in open habitats with a mixture of woods and clearings. Distinctive whistled song is often likened to "quick, three beers;" also listen for "pip" call notes.
Scaled Antpitta
Grallaria guatimalensis
A plump ball on sticks. Uncommon and elusive on forest floor in humid evergreen forest of tropical lowlands and foothills; also in humid pine-oak and fir forest of mountains in central Mexico. Moves quickly and stealthily on long legs. May be seen feeding or hopping along quiet trails and roads. Flushes with a whir of wings without calling. Note obvious pale mustache and pale rusty underparts; dark scaly markings on upperparts often hard to see.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.