Blue-collared Parrot
Geoffroyus simplex
A medium-sized parrot from foothill to mid-montane forest. Uniformly green with a black bill and pale eye. Male has a full pale-gray collar with a thin blue edge around the front. Often seen flying in flocks and difficult to see perched. In flight, bulky head and thinner tail gives a front-heavy appearance. May overlap altitudinally with similar sized Red-cheeked Parrot, but Blue-collared Parrot has an all green head. Best identified by voice. Call, a ringing, tuneless jumble of up and down notes.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Geoffroyus simplex
- Authority
- (Meyer, AB, 1874)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Geoffroyus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Nomadic movement
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Black-bellied Firefinch
Lagonosticta rara
Males are mostly pinkish-red, and females have a brown back, a gray head, and pinkish underparts. Both sexes have a dark bill with a pinkish area at the base, an extensive black belly, and no white spots on the underparts. Found along forest edge and in overgrown cultivation, lush savanna, and scrub. Usually in pairs or small groups, sometimes mixed with other waxbills. Similar to several other firefinches, but separated by the lack of white spots below. Male further separated from similar species by the all-red head. The song is a series of low whistles, and the calls include “chet” notes and a short trill.
Gray-cheeked Nunlet
Nonnula frontalis
Rare and unobtrusive in forests and woodlands, typically with dense understory. Distinctive within limited range. Rather plump with large, slightly decurved bill. Brownish overall with warmer rufous crown, gray cheek, and tawny throat. Also note pinkish eyering. Sexes similar. Perches stolidly in the lower to middle levels; typically singly or in pairs.
Screaming Cowbird
Molothrus rufoaxillaris
Medium-sized cowbird found at woodland edges, savannas, and agricultural areas. Both sexes are entirely black with a bluish iridescence, except for rufous feathers on the underwing, which are difficult to see. Similar to Shiny Cowbird, but has a thicker bill and is notably less "shiny" that that species.
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