Olive-green Tyrannulet

Phylloscartes virescens

Small, uncommon flycatcher of rainforest canopy. Plain, inconspicuous, and unobtrusive; occurs in tall forest, especially on sandy soils, and may also be found in shorter-stature forest on similar soil types. Almost always seen with mixed-species flocks, and usually from below, whereby it is best distinguished from other small flycatchers by longish bill and (especially) long tail held slightly cocked. If seen from above, note long-tailed shape and bold wing bars. Feeds actively on insects taken in short sallies to leaf clusters. Easily-overlooked call is a sharp, inflected squeak, often run into an erratic series. More active and narrower-billed than Gray-crowned and Yellow-margined flycatchers, which have similar shape and posture and often occur with it in flocks.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Phylloscartes virescens
Authority
Todd, 1925
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Tyrannidae
Genus
Phylloscartes

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Lesser Crested Tern

Lesser Crested Tern

Thalasseus bengalensis

Elegant medium-sized tern with a slender yellow-orange bill and black crown. Can be confused with Great Crested Tern; note proportionally longer, more orangey bill on Lesser Crested. Also note gray upperwing, which separates it from Sandwich Tern. Gray rump and tail are diagnostic if seen well. On juveniles, note dull legs, secondaries with dark centers, and a weakly patterned upperwing. Strictly coastal, usually found on beaches and estuaries. Call a noisy “kerrrick.”

Violet-throated Metaltail

Violet-throated Metaltail

Metallura baroni

High-elevation hummingbird endemic to the Andes of southern Ecuador. Plumage is mostly green with a purple throat, and tail is blue on top and greenish underneath. Bill is short and straight. Female has underparts scaled with gray or buff. Compared to the common and widespread Tyrian Metaltail, Violet-throated lacks a rusty tail and has a purple (not green or buffy) throat. Inhabits montane scrub and edge of stunted forest. Most sightings come from in and around Cajas National Park.

Lemon-rumped Warbler

Lemon-rumped Warbler

Phylloscopus chloronotus

Small leaf warbler with many extremely similar relatives. Like other “Pallas’s-type” leaf warblers, has olive-yellow upperparts, pale underparts, prominent brow and crown stripes, double wingbars, and a pale rump. Unlike Ashy-throated and Buff-barred Warblers, lacks any white on outer tail edges. Pallas’s averages yellower-headed and brighter overall. Gansu and Chinese Leaf Warblers can be incredibly similar, but Lemon-rumped averages whiter-browed and yellower-bellied than the former, more contrastingly-marked on the head than the latter, and darker-billed than both. As with many other physically similar leaf warblers, best distinguished by voice and habitat. Breeds in coniferous and mixed forests at mid- to high-elevation forests, though may descend into foothills in the winter. Two song types are both highly distinctive; one is a buzzy, descending rattling trill and the other is a series of high-pitched clicking twitters. Call is a loud, strident pair of notes: “pse-tew!”

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