Rufous-browed Tyrannulet

Small songbird with short, fine bill. Male blackish above, pale with fine, faint barring below, bold white wingbars, thin white eyebrow, and pale orange undertail. Female and immature similar in pattern, with paler upperparts. Inhabits tropical and subtropical rainforest, mangroves, and gardens, foraging in pairs or small flocks in the lower to mid-story. Song is a loud trilling.

Stocky, stout, and unobtrusive bird of alpine regions above the treeline. Often seen shuffling around boulders in small groups. Distinctive dark wing panel bordered by pale spots forming two wingbars, particularly obvious in flight. Barred throat can be difficult to see but chestnut flanks with white streaks distinctive. Flight is strong and fast before diving behind rocks.

An oddly-shaped wren famous for its unique song, which consists of rich, fluting notes intermixed with chirps and rattles. Ranges widely in lowland and foothill rainforest in northern South America, but not found west of the Andes. It is brown with a chestnut throat and breast, and dense barring on wings and tail. There is much regional variation; in parts of its range, it has white streaking on the neck, a white line behind the eye, and/or a whitish to pale bluish eyering. Found alone or in pairs that stay on or near the ground, and can be challenging to see. It is known as “Uirapuru” in Brazil, where it has been celebrated in music, poetry, and even legends.