Costa Rican Warbler
Basileuterus melanotis
Small understory warbler, dull buffy-brown overall. Bold black stripes on head, including cheek patch. Sexes alike. Recalls Worm-eating Warbler but plumper with longer tail; face pattern different. Found in pairs or small flocks moving through the forest understory. Often with a mixed-species flock. Energetic twittering song is a good clue that there’s a flock nearby.
Identification
The black-eared warbler measures 13 cm (5.1 in) in length. It is mostly olive-brown with a buffy belly and underparts. It has distinct black and white striping on the head and a dark cheek. Male and female three-striped warblers have similar plumages.<p>Their song is a rapid series of squeaky chirps.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Basileuterus melanotis
- Authority
- Lawrence, 1868
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Parulidae
- Genus
- Basileuterus
Range and habitat
It is found from Costa Rica to western Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded former forest. The black-eared warbler typically forages on the ground, especially near riparian areas.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds

Regent Bowerbird
Sericulus chrysocephalus
Small forest bowerbird. Males and females differ greatly. Males are black with stunning bright gold on the head and wings. Females are light brown with scalloping on the breast and back; they are much smaller and more lightly build than big, plump Satin Bowerbirds. Males have a bright yellow bill, while female’s is black-gray. Usually found in rainforest. The male builds a small open bower out of twigs and decorates it with small objects in order to attract a mate. This species is not very vocal and is usually only heard calling near a bower.

Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo
Chalcites basalis
A small greenish bird with a barred chest and tail, and a dark stripe through the eye that droops down across the cheek. Young birds can be almost unbarred and may appear similar to the grayer Black-eared Cuckoo. Often perches prominently on top of a shrub or tree, and calls repeatedly with a loud piercing descending whistle. Occurs in Indonesia and across much of Australia (including arid inland areas).

Curve-billed Thrasher
Toxostoma curvirostre
Plain grayish-brown thrasher of the southwest U.S. and Mexico. Look for decurved bill and fairly faint round spots on breast and belly. Undertail coverts are slightly warmer buffy. Eye color varies from yellow to orange. Occurs in deserts and open, shrubby areas. Can be shy and skulking, but often perches atop a bush or cactus to sing. More common in suburban areas and parks than other thrashers in range. Most similar to Bendire’s Thrasher. Note Curve-billed has a slightly longer and more curved bill, and breast spots are slightly larger and rounder.
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