Great Shrike-Tyrant
Agriornis lividus
Large but rather plain flycatcher of semiopen and open scrubby habitats, matorral, lighter woodlands, and hedges in drier farmland of lowlands and foothills. Generally scarce and local. Perches prominently atop cacti, bushes, and wires. Runs well on the ground, chasing down small lizards and other prey. Distinguished by overall drab plumage with pale rusty vent, blackish tail, and stout bill. Most likely to be mistaken for Austral Thrush, which is similar in size and plumage tones, but has a bright yellow bill.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Agriornis lividus
- Authority
- (Kittlitz, 1835)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Genus
- Agriornis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Marbled Wood-Quail
Odontophorus gujanensis
Plump chickenlike bird, stout bill, brown overall with diagnostic red skin around the eye. Grayer on nape with some fine buffy markings on the rest of the body. Found in small flocks, always on the ground, foraging through leaf litter in the forest. More often heard than seen: listen for the low rich rolling calls, often given by multiple birds at once.
Papuan Pitta
Erythropitta macklotii
A distinctive plump, short-tailed, long-legged bird with a bold red belly. Note the rusty nape, black throat, broad blue chest band bordered below with a thick black line, and greenish upperparts. Singles or pairs forage on the forest floor or call from a low perch within forest and secondary growth. More abundant in the lowlands but also occurs in the foothills. No similar species in range. Song is typical of the genus, with a quivering, rising first note and a falling, mournful second whistle: “waaaaop-aaaaaawoo.”
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Clamator glandarius
Distinctive, boldly patterned cuckoo with a spiffy crest and white-spotted wings. Adult has a gray crest and gray-brown back. Juveniles are even more contrasting, with a rusty wing panel and black crest and back. Typically restless, making short flights often and hopping on the ground with tail raised. A nest parasite of corvids (crows, jays, and relatives). Found in semiarid open woodland and dry savannas. Noisy, often giving "krree krree krree" calls.
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