Fiery-throated Fruiteater
Pipreola chlorolepidota
Small, scarce fruiteater found in cloud forest in the eastern foothills of the Andes. Both sexes are mostly green. Male has a ruby-red throat and a yellowish belly. Female has a yellow chin and yellow scaling on the belly. Female is similar to female to Scarlet-breasted Fruiteater but smaller and with a black (not orange) bill. Feeds on berries in middle to upper levels in the forest, and often found in pairs.
Identification
At just 12.5 cm (5 in), the fiery-throated fruiteater is the smallest species in the genus. The adult male has a bright green head and upper parts except for the tips of the tertial wing feathers which are white. The throat and chest are bright orangish-red, contrasting with the rest of the underparts which are green, the midbelly being tinged with yellow. The upper parts of the adult female are similar to those of the male, the breast is green and the belly is barred with green and yellow. In both sexes, the iris is pale grey, the beak pinkish-orange with a dark tip, and the legs orange. This bird might be confused with the scarlet-breasted fruiteater (Pipreola frontalis) but that species is larger and the belly of the male is less green.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Pipreola chlorolepidota
- Authority
- Swainson, 1838
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cotingidae
- Genus
- Pipreola
Range and habitat
The fiery-throated fruiteater is found in humid tropical forests on the eastern slopes of the Andes. Its range extends from southern Colombia, through Ecuador to northern Peru, and its altitudinal range is from 600 to 1,200 metres (2,000 to 3,900 ft) above sea level, although it has been observed at Cerros del Sira, in the Ucayali Region of Peru, at around 1,500 metres (4,900 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Gunnison Sage-Grouse
Centrocercus minimus
Large turkeylike bird found in extensive areas of sagebrush. Both sexes gray overall with very fine patterning, black belly, and long pointed tail. Males have a white breast and a black throat. Spectacular male display involves fanning tail, inflating yellow air sacs on chest, and thrusting them forward to produce liquidy popping noises. Extremely similar to more widespread Greater Sage-Grouse but smaller and no range overlap. Also note lighter tail and longer head plumes on Gunnison when displaying. Most easily seen at display sites in early spring; can be very inconspicuous at other times of year. Tends to forage in wet riparian areas near sagebrush. Population in decline.
Perija Metaltail
Metallura iracunda
Small, short-billed hummingbird found only in the Perijá Mountains, which straddle the border between Colombia and Venezuela. Similar to the more common Tyrian Metalail, but larger with a longer coppery (not bluish) tail; male is also darker and female has speckles on the throat. Inhabits scrubby areas in and around high elevation grasslands near tree line, typically at higher elevations than Tyrian Metaltail, but there is some overlap.
Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet
Phylloscartes ventralis
Small olive-yellow flycatcher with a long slender tail, which is often held cocked. Olive above and yellow below with a pale eyebrow, a white chin, and two pale wingbars. Found in montane forests including Araucaria forests, where it forages actively in the middle and upper layers of the forest often with mixed-species flocks. The song is short and high-pitched.
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