Black-eared Hemispingus
Sphenopsis melanotis
Small warblerlike tanager found in the Andes from extreme western Venezuela to Bolivia. Brownish above and tawny-orange below, with color concentrated on the breast. Note gray nape and crown, and black cheek. Some geographic variation: birds on west slope of Andes in Ecuador and Colombia are dullest with no black cheek, while birds in northwest Peru and southern Ecuador are brightest below with a bold white eyebrow. Usually uncommon; found in pairs in the understory or middle levels of montane forests and edges from around 1,400–2,500 m. Especially apt to be found in areas with chusquea bamboo. Listen for its sputtering chatter.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Sphenopsis melanotis
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Genus
- Sphenopsis
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Tibetan Snowfinch
Montifringilla henrici
Small brown finch of open highland steppes on the Tibetan plateau. Male has short but prominent black mustache and a dark bill. Female lacks the mustache, but has an orange bill and a pale white eyebrow stripe faintly resembling that of female and immature House Sparrows. Flashing white wing patches are only prominent when in flight. Confusingly, the Black-winged Snowfinch (Montifringilla adamsi) is occasionally referred to as the Tibetan Snowfinch in older field guides.
Golden Bush-Robin
Tarsiger chrysaeus
Shining and distinctively yellow robin of the montane forest understory. Male sports a blazing golden brow, yellow underparts, and a black face. Female is less contrastingly patterned, but still noticeably yellow, with browner underparts and a white eyering. Both sexes have a yellow panel on either side of the tail. Song is composed of rolling, buzzing notes; it is not as melodic as those of some other bush-robins.
White-winged Triller
Lalage tricolor
Small songbird with short, fine bill. Breeding males have black crown and back, white underparts, black wings with bold white wing panels, and black tail with white tip. In nonbreeding plumage crown and back brown, with pale-edged feathers in dark upperwing. Female similar to nonbreeding male. Inhabits lightly wooded areas, especially eucalypt, foraging in pairs or small flocks in the mid- to upper story. Song is a loud, clear series of notes that descend and accelerate into a trill.
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