White-browed Laughingthrush

Pterorhinus sannio

A ground-hugging, long-tailed songbird of city parks, forests, and scrubby agricultural land. Brownish above, ochre below, with striking facial pattern: black throat and rear eyeline contrast with earth-brown crown and white cheek and supercilium. Forages in small to medium-sized flocks on the ground and in dense shrubbery. Vocal; loud cackling contact calls used to communicate among flockmates.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Pterorhinus sannio
Authority
(Swinhoe, 1867)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Leiothrichidae
Genus
Pterorhinus

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Ocellated Crake

Ocellated Crake

Rufirallus schomburgkii

A tiny rail found in dense grasslands, often far from water. Extremely difficult to see, but striking plumage renders this species unmistakable: look for warm orange crown and breast, bold white spotting on upperparts, and pink legs. Far more often heard than seen. Listen for a long descending trill with a slightly musical quality, and a harsh growling call. Patchy distribution from Costa Rica to southern Brazil.

Pyrrhuloxia

Pyrrhuloxia

Cardinalis sinuatus

Essentially a desert-dwelling cardinal, found in brushy areas of the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. Shaped much like a Northern Cardinal but with a longer, thinner crest and more rounded bill shape. Plumage is mostly gray with red highlights on the face, crest, belly, wings, and tail. Bill color is usually yellowish, but grayer on immatures. Usually seen in pairs or small flocks, often visiting bird feeders. Song is similar to Northern Cardinal but higher-pitched and more piercing.

Singing Parrot

Singing Parrot

Geoffroyus heteroclitus

A mostly green medium-sized parrot with a contrasting head, gray in females and yellow in males. Shows a blue underwing in flight. Inhabits lowland forest edge, including coconut plantations, parks, and gardens, up to at least 1750 meters of elevation. Bulkier than Cardinal, White-naped, Yellow-bibbed, and Purple-bellied Lories, with slower wingbeats, and lacks the mostly red color of those species. The similar Eclectus Parrot is larger with a bigger bill, and male is also green but has a red underwing. Singing Parrot’s voice includes a wide variety of harsh cries and a whistling bell-like song.

Start Your Bird Watching Journey

Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.