Pere David's Snowfinch

Pyrgilauda davidiana

A small and fairly dull brown finch-like bird. Male has an extensive black patch on the face which stretches from the crown down to the throat, while female has a bright orange bill. Both sexes are light brown above and dirty white below. Inhabits dry and open areas with sparse ground cover where it forages on the ground in small flocks.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Pyrgilauda davidiana
Authority
Verreaux, J, 1871
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Passeridae
Genus
Pyrgilauda

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Tawny Antpitta

Tawny Antpitta

Grallaria quitensis

Medium-sized antpitta found in elfin forest and páramo near or above treeline in the Andes from western Colombia to extreme northwestern Peru. Typical antpitta shape: plump with short tail and long legs. Dull brownish plumage, darker above and buffier below. Sexes similar. Fairly common and much more conspicuous than most other antpittas; frequently seen bounding around in the open, though typically close to shrubby cover. Sometimes sings from a fairly prominent perch; listen for three piping whistles, a high first note followed by two lower notes.

White-throated Kingbird

White-throated Kingbird

Tyrannus albogularis

Large flycatcher that occupies a variety of habitats, from forest edges to open areas and pastures, to woodlands and urban areas; can appear almost anywhere on migration. It has a light gray head contrasting with a dark mask and white throat. The breast and belly is yellow, the back olive-green, and the wings dark. Similar to Tropical Kingbird, but with a paler head and a more contrasting mask and throat. The call is sharp trill “tic-tic-tic.”

Bar-bellied Pitta

Bar-bellied Pitta

Hydrornis elliotii

Jade-green pitta with densely striped, green underparts and a black mask. Male has an aquamarine-blue patch on the back of the crown and a dark purplish-blue one on the belly. Female lacks both of these features and instead has a pale orangish head. Like other pittas, forages deep in dense undergrowth and can be hard to see, especially in the limestone gullies and forested riversides it prefers. Predominantly a lowland species. Song is a brief, bubbly-sounding exclamation of three notes, akin to “chowee-wu!”. Call sounds rather like a single blare of a police car alarm.

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