Yellow-billed Cacique
Amblycercus holosericeus
Retiring blackbird of thickets and tangles. Heard much more often than seen, as pairs keep in touch with ‘question and answer calling.’ Creeps methodically in vines and tangles, and most frequently seen as it flies low across a trail or quiet road, usually with one member of the pair following shortly after the other. Note the pale ivory-yellow bill and staring yellow eyes, often striking even with a quick flight view.
Identification
The yellow-billed cacique (Amblycercus holosericeus) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is found in Mexico, every Central American country, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Taxonomy
Genus: Amblycercus; Family: Icteridae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Amblycercus holosericeus
- Authority
- (Deppe, 1830)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Icteridae
- Genus
- Amblycercus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Yellow-eared Bulbul
Pycnonotus penicillatus
Medium-sized, plump green bulbul with a yellow belly and distinctive head pattern with yellow tufts behind each eye, white tufts above each eye, and white horns sticking up from the base of the bill. Found in small parties in the canopy of hill forests and adjacent woods and gardens. Conspicuous head pattern of Yellow-eared Bulbul differentiates it from Black-headed Bulbul, which has an unmarked, dark head. Frequently given call is a harsh trill. Song involves a series of high “whit”, whip-like notes.
Sulawesi Goshawk
Lophospiza griseiceps
A gray-headed, pale-eyed, brown-backed hawk with a streak down the center of the throat, bold streaking on white underparts, and barred thighs. Shows whitish underwings with scattered dark markings at the rear and tips, and a barred tail. Immature is brown-headed with rufous markings on underside. Found in forest and mangroves from lowlands to mountains on Sulawesi. Gray head and central throat stripe make adult distinctive. Immature shows barring restricted to thighs, unlike immature Japanese and Chinese Sparrowhawks, and poorly marked underwings, unlike Japanese Sparrowhawk. Call reported as a “kik-kik-kik.”
Mottled Petrel
Pterodroma inexpectata
A medium-sized petrel with a distinctive dark patch on the belly. Slightly larger and heavier-bodied than Black-winged, Bonin, and Cook’s Petrels. Regularly seen offshore from boats and sometimes from shore.
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