Eared Pygmy-Tyrant

Scarce and confusing antwren of lowland rainforest; known from scattered locations throughout the western parts of the Amazon basin. Male is gray with a black bib and white spots on the wings that usually form bars. Female is mostly brown and extremely difficult to separate from several other antwren species. Male is told from male Long-winged Antwren by gray (not whitish) belly, lack of a distinct white tip to the tail, and smaller wing dots. No overlap with the similar Slaty Antwren, which is found at higher elevations. Usually encountered with mixed-species understory flocks, often with other species of antwren. Song is a series of three to five drawn out “swee” notes.

Small, short-tailed, most similar to Warbling Vireo, but brighter: look for yellow wash on underparts, brightest on throat and undertail, and dark line through the eye that connects to base of bill. Dull individuals can be very difficult to distinguish from Warbling Vireo, but Warbling usually brightest yellow on flanks, not throat. Similar to Red-eyed Vireo but with shorter bill and yellower below. Breeds in deciduous forests, especially areas with younger trees including birches or aspens. Migrates through a variety of wooded and brushy habitats; winters in Central America. Song nearly identical to Red-eyed Vireo. Feeds on insects; especially caterpillars.

A small, extremely short-tailed, long-legged, long-billed terrestrial brown songbird with a pale buffy eyebrow and a pale underside. Juvenile is more richly colored above, with a duller eyebrow and underparts. A secretive, ground-dwelling bird of forest floor and thickets in lowlands and hills, usually found singly or in pairs. No other small, nearly tailless bird occurs in its limited range on Timor and Babar islands, making it easy to identify. Song is a barely audible, extremely high-pitched rising “tzeee.”