Slaty-capped Flycatcher
Leptopogon superciliaris
Small flycatcher with gray cap, black ear patch, and buffy wingbars. Head pattern looks messy. Olive back and pale yellow belly. Most similar to Sepia-capped Flycatcher, but that species has a brown cap (not gray). Also very similar to bristle-tyrants of South America but note buffy wingbars and voice—a commonly heard, explosive “pseek!” sometimes with a sputtering trill at the end. Look for singles or pairs in forests and edges, usually not too high in the trees. Often follows mixed-species flocks.
Identification
The adult slaty-capped flycatcher is 12.5 cm (4.9 in) long and weighs 12 g (0.42 oz). The head has a dark grey crown, grey and white face, grey supercilium, and black crescent-shaped ear patch. The upperparts are olive-green and the dusky wings have two yellowish wing bars. The throat is whitish and the breast is greenish yellow shading to yellow on the belly. The long heavy bill is black above and pink-based below. Sexes are similar, but young birds have a more olive crown, weaker face pattern, orange wing bars and paler underparts. They have a sharp switch-choo call.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Leptopogon superciliaris
- Authority
- Tschudi, 1844
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Genus
- Leptopogon
Range and habitat
It breeds from Costa Rica through Colombia and northern Venezuela to northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru. It also occurs on Trinidad. This species is found in forests and woodland edges.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Slaty-capped flycatcher are seen alone or in pairs, perched in the open or catching insects in flight or from foliage. They also frequently eat berries.<p>The nest is a ball lined with fine plant fibres, with a side entrance. It is suspended by a tendril or root and built in a heavily shaded area, such as a rock cleft or under hanging vegetation at the top of a bank. The typical clutch is two white eggs.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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Sulawesi Leaf Warbler
Phylloscopus nesophilus
A dull warbler restricted to Sulawesi with a pale eyebrow, a largely blackish bill, dark legs, dingy olive-brown upperparts, and a pale yellow underside. No distinct wingbar. Found in forests and edges in hills and mountains, often accompanying mixed-species flocks. Differs from Arctic, Japanese, and Kamchatka Leaf Warblers in darker brown coloration, dull legs, yellow underside, and lack of distinct wingbar. Song is a highly variable mix of warbles and trills.
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Tiny and rather unobtrusive bird with brownish upperparts and luminous lemon-yellow underparts. Superficially similar to female and juvenile Olive-backed Sunbirds, but note gerygone’s short, uncurved bill. Forages in parks, forests, and plantations, where it often joins mixed flocks moving through the middle and upper layers. Song is variable throughout its range but invariably includes buzzy notes with obvious rises and falls in pitch.
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