Ferruginous Babbler

Small yet chunky warbler of wet, grassy, and shrubby areas. Very similar to Common and Masked Yellowthroats: olive above, yellow below, black mask. However, note lack of whitish or gray border to black mask. Female also similar to other yellowthroats but with entirely yellow underparts and olive face. Song is somewhat variable, always including sweet repeated notes but sometimes with a complex chattering ending.

Plump bird with a short tail and long legs. Unmistakable within its range. Has a brownish back, spotted breast, and rusty sides. Found hopping quietly on the ground or perching in the understory of deciduous wooded caatinga (dry scrubby forest). The song is a series of 12-14 notes, starting with four notes alternating in pitch, and finishing with descending whistles e.g. “piupiu-piupiu tetju tetju tetju tetjutu.”

Perhaps the most beautiful of the five species of inca-finch; restricted to the upper parts of the Marañon Valley and its tributaries in the Andes of northern Peru. It has a yellow bill and legs, a black face and throat, and a chestnut back; its buffy belly and mustache set it apart from all the other inca-finches. Young birds are washed out and streaky, showing only a hint of the face and throat markings. Inhabits arid areas with dense scrub, and feeds mainly on the ground.