Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler
Macronus ptilosus
Unfortunately, like many other birds named for back characteristics, the fluffiness of this babbler’s upperparts are not typically visible. It is nonetheless a handsome and attractive bird, with a chestnut crown, a jet-black throat, and electric blue skin patches on the face and neck. Forages in dense lower levels of vegetation in lowland and hill forests. Vocalizations are variable; most commonly heard is a quiet hooting series of around 4–5 notes. Calls include harsh churrs, rattles, and croaks.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Macronus ptilosus
- Authority
- Jardine & Selby, 1835
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Timaliidae
- Genus
- Macronus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Stripe-tailed Hummingbird
Eupherusa eximia
Distinctive, medium-sized hummingbird found in foothills and highlands. Favors humid evergreen forests and shade-coffee plantations. Mainly feeds at low to middle levels, darting quickly among flowers and flashing open its tail to reveal white stripes. Both sexes have a bright rusty panel in the wings, which appears as a blur when hovering. Male is brilliant green overall. Female is pale gray below and has less white in the tail.
Thick-billed Parrot
Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha
Very local, long-tailed, and social parrot of mountains in northwest Mexico. Feeds in pine and pine-oak forests. Nests colonially in groves of giant aspens, whose soft trunks allow nest cavities to be excavated. Usually found in flocks, of 10–100 birds, less often in scattered pairs; often located by its far-carrying, raucous laughing calls. No similar species in its range; note the red forehead and small red shoulder patches. In flight shows a broad yellow stripe under the wings.
Short-toed Treecreeper
Certhia brachydactyla
Difficult to separate from Eurasian Treecreeper: note slightly longer bill, shorter hind claw, browner flanks, and even steps on the wingbar. In the field best separated by voice, a penetrating "tut." Where it overlaps in range with Eurasian Treecreeper tends to be found in more deciduous woodlands at lower altitudes and in farmlands and parks.
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