Ussher's Flycatcher
Artomyias ussheri
An unusual small, chunky flycatcher. At a distance, looks entirely dark, but a good view reveals a slightly paler throat and a dark undertail with paler fringes. Has long, pointed wings and looks a bit like a swallow in flight. Found in rainforest and gallery forest, where it perches up on dead trees, especially at the forest edge and around clearings. Often in small groups. Similar to Sooty Flycatcher, but there is little or no overlap in range, and Ussher’s is separated by its darker underparts. Easily separated from other flycatchers by very dark plumage and unusual habits. Not very vocal, but does give a quiet, squeaky song.
Identification
Ussher's flycatcher (Artomyias ussheri) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
Taxonomy
Genus: Artomyias; Family: Muscicapidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Artomyias ussheri
- Authority
- (Sharpe, 1871)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Artomyias
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
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Small, agile brown bird of the high Andes from central western Argentina to Lake Titicaca. Uses long, stiff tail to forage acrobatically on branches and cliffsides. From similar Tawny Tit-Spinetail by Brown-capped’s erect crest and colder underparts. Prefers semi-open vegetation like shrub, gardens, and Polylepis woodland, often in mixed foraging flocks. Song a very high, dry, twittered trill. Call a high and less dry “skweet!”
Western Black-eared Wheatear
Oenanthe hispanica
A small, slim wheatear. Males striking: black wings contrast with a yellowish back and crown and a black mask through the eye. Throat can be white or black. Females have a more muted version of the male’s overall pattern. The tail has a complicated black-and-white pattern that is conspicuous in flight. Found in open habitats with scattered trees, including savanna, rocky mountain slopes, and barren pastures. Very similar to Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, but usually distinguished by more extensive and warmer yellow wash on the head, back, and breast. Also similar to Pied Wheatear, but male’s black face patch is not connected to the black wing, and female is warmer and browner than the grayish female Pied. Call is a dry, hoarse “chercher.” Song is a short jumble of primarily descending trills and harsher notes.
Lark-like Bunting
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A dull, nondescript, slender buffy bunting. Subtle features include a rusty wing panel, a pale spot near the ear, a buffy eyebrow, and a small pale silvery bill. Pairs can be low-density residents, but typically the species is nomadic, and large flocks irrupt into the semi-arid Karoo, Kalahari, and Namib after rainfall events; but it may reach savanna and other atypical habitats, particularly in drier years. It prefers areas with bare stony soil and often is found close to pools of drinking water. The song is a short series of varied scratchy trills, but the distinctive flight call is short, dry, crisp one-note “tec” which often betrays its presence. It often flocks with other seedeaters, lacking the black belly patch of the otherwise similar female sparrow-larks.
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