Pringle's Puffback
Dryoscopus pringlii
A small bushshrike in which males and females are strikingly different. Males are black and gray on the upperparts, whitish below. Females are gray-brown on the upperparts, pale gray below. Local and generally uncommon in dry savanna and thornscrub. Usually in pairs. Similar to Black-backed and Northern Puffbacks, but noticeably smaller, with a pale base to the bill. The most common vocalization is an explosive, repeated “kweea,” but the species also gives scolding and ratcheting calls.
Identification
Pringle's puffback (Dryoscopus pringlii) is a species of bird in the family Malaconotidae. It is found in southern Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and northern Tanzania. Its natural habitat is dry savanna.
Taxonomy
Genus: Dryoscopus; Family: Malaconotidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Dryoscopus pringlii
- Authority
- Jackson, FJ, 1893
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Malaconotidae
- Genus
- Dryoscopus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Olive-backed Foliage-gleaner
Automolus infuscatus
Dark brown foliage-gleaner of mature rainforest understory. Warm dark brown body, with a clean whitish throat patch and reddish brown tail. Does not have prominent reddish brown in the wings like many other foliage-gleaners do; the clean whitish throat, plain face (without a strong eyebrow) and habit of foraging low are other good distinguishing features to tell it apart from other foliage-gleaners. Primarily found in the understory of mature rainforest. Listen for its song, a musical trill with stuttered introductory note, “ch-trrrrrrrr”, similar to that of Chestnut-crowned Foliage-gleaner from denser secondary growth habitats, but slightly lower and with a more distinct introductory note.
Black-billed Thrush
Turdus ignobilis
A drab thrush, common in open habitats and woodlands in the lowlands but also wanders up into Andean foothills. Nondescript grayish-brown with a pale whitish belly. Note indistinct streaking on throat; some populations also show a white patch on chest. Sexes similar. Usually seen singly or in pairs. Conspicuous. Song is a typical thrushlike series of musical phrases.
White-spotted Woodpecker
Veniliornis spilogaster
Small, noisy woodpecker, common in a variety of forested habitats including urban parks. The body is largely olive-green and heavily barred, including the tail. Note two white stripes above and below the eye and a pale throat. Males have a red crown that is lacking in females.
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