Moustached Flowerpiercer

Diglossa mystacalis

Unmistakable black flowerpiercer with a bold white mustache and a reddish vent. Some subspecies have a variable red and white chest patch. Sexes similar. Resembles a tanager with a slender hooked bill, and tends to hold its body horizontal as it forages in low shrubs in humid habitats around and above the treeline. Its song is a rapid, jumbled series of high whistles.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Diglossa mystacalis
Authority
Lafresnaye, 1846
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Thraupidae
Genus
Diglossa

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

Svelte with a long, pointed tail. Plain brown overall with dark spots on wing. Juvenile is covered with pale scaly pattern, but is much larger and longer-tailed than ground doves. Widespread and common throughout much of North America, from southern Canada to Panama, including the Caribbean. Found in a variety of habitats from agricultural fields to lightly wooded areas. Loves suburbs, where it often sits on telephone wires and visits bird feeders. Avoids dense forest, but found on forest edges. Usually seen in pairs or small flocks, sometimes gathering in larger numbers, especially in winter. Listen for distinctive cooing song and whistling wings as it takes off.

Black-faced Grosbeak

Black-faced Grosbeak

Caryothraustes poliogaster

Rather chunky, social bird of humid evergreen forest and edge in tropical lowlands and foothills. Usually in small and often noisy groups (at times up to 50 birds), moving at middle to upper levels in fruiting trees; not usually with mixed-species feeding flocks. Sexes look alike, with subtly attractive plumage: mustard-yellow head and breast with black face and blue-gray belly. Calls are buzzy splutters and whistles.

Tagula Butcherbird

Tagula Butcherbird

Cracticus louisiadensis

A large, little-known bird of lowland forest on Tagula Island where the only butcherbird. Mainly black plumage with white mark at the shoulder, above and below the base, and also at the tip of the tail. Long, silvery bill with black tip. Trumpet Manucode is a similar size and co-occurs, but Tagula Butcherbird has obvious white markings. Typical butcherbird song of low warbles mixed with bell-like notes and loud “chok!” notes.

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