Sula Dwarf-Kingfisher

Ceyx wallacii

A small kingfisher with an entirely orange bill, dark blue upperparts, a paler blue stripe down the upperside, a white throat, and orange underparts. Also note the orange-washed pale patch on the sides of neck and the orange forehead patch. Inhabits forest understory. Confined to the Sula islands. Overlaps with Blue-eared and Common Kingfishers, but note Sula’s smaller size, entirely orange bill, and darker blackish-blue upperpart coloration. Gives an extremely high-pitched, shrill “tseeeeip” call, as is typical of dwarf-kingfishers.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Ceyx wallacii
Authority
Sharpe, 1868
Order
Coraciiformes
Family
Alcedinidae
Genus
Ceyx

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Hispaniolan Amazon

Hispaniolan Amazon

Amazona ventralis

A stout green inhabitant of wooded habitats; typically found in flocks, sometimes numbering in the hundreds. No other native parrot occurs within its range. The brick red patch on its lower belly, which can be difficult to see, eliminates non-native species that may have escaped from captivity. Calls include a scratchy “wheep-uh-uh” with a “wheep” and “uh-uh” sometimes given separately, and a harsh, quick “for-get.”

Huayco Tinamou

Huayco Tinamou

Rhynchotus maculicollis

Large, streaky tinamou of upper elevations of the east side of the Andes. The highland version of Red-winged Tinamou, similar in voice and habits. Fairly rare and local in tall grass in the high Andes from NW Argentina to the La Paz area in Bolivia. Prefers steep hillsides and slopes, largely absent from the altiplano. From other montane tinamous by characteristic plaintive, two part whistled song, for which it is named (“HUAY-co”). Shy and retiring, can be quite difficult to see, most often found by voice.

Purple-throated Woodstar

Purple-throated Woodstar

Philodice mitchellii

Woodstars are tiny hummingbirds that fly like bumblebees. Purple-throated is restricted to the west slope of the Andes in Colombia and Ecuador, where it inhabits cloud forest, edges, and second growth from 800–2,000 m. Males have a glittering purple throat, white chest band, fairly long forked tail, and white patches on the sides of the rump. Unlikely to be confused within range. Females are trickier; note the orangey belly with a variable amount of smudgy white in the center (never as extensive as on female White-bellied Woodstar) and the thin whitish line that extends behind the eye and wraps around the neck (not as wide or buffy as on Little Woodstar). Often seen singly feeding in the canopy; visits feeders.

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