Red-fronted Antpecker
Parmoptila rubrifrons
A small, slender-billed warbler-like waxbill with pinkish-brown legs and different-looking sexes: the male has a red forehead, dull brown upperparts, light scaling on the face, and rusty-chestnut underparts, while the female has pale underparts with scattered dark chevrons, mostly brown upperparts, and a white-speckled head. Pairs and small groups forage alone or in mixed-species flocks, in the understory and middle levels of primary and swamp forest, often near water. Eats insects, with a fondness for ants. Call is a high-pitched downslurred “peeeee.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Parmoptila rubrifrons
- Authority
- (Sharpe & Ussher, 1872)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Parmoptila
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Frances's Sparrowhawk
Tachyspiza francesiae
Typical small sparrowhawk with a gray or brown back and pale underparts. Females are much larger than males and show reddish barring below. Smaller male is pale-chested. Found in open forest, scrub, plantations, and even villages. Usually seen sitting on an open perch or dashing through the trees; rarely soars. Small, pale male is distinctive, but female and brownish immature very hard to separate from some Madagascar Sparrowhawks. On Frances’s Sparrowhawk, look for fine bars on the undertail, reddish chest barring, a single dark stripe down the center of the throat, and a short central toe.
Plain Antvireo
Dysithamnus mentalis
Antvireos, as the name, suggests, resemble vireos, with rather heavy bills and shortish tails. This species inhabits open understory in humid forest of tropical lowlands and foothills. Usually found as sluggish singles or pairs, at times moving with mixed-species feeding flocks. Male has gray face and breast with a broad dark mask. Female has rusty cap and plain face and breast with a whitish eyering.
Bronzed Cowbird
Molothrus aeneus
Dark brown to matte black; males with iridescent bluish wings. Thick neck and heavy bill. Look for vampire-like staring red eye. Males have an incredible display where they puff out a mane of neck feathers and hover in a circle above the female. Found in a variety of open or semi-open areas, including pastures, forest edge, yards, and agricultural areas. Visits feeders. Often in flocks, sometimes with other blackbirds.
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