Long-billed Wren
Cantorchilus longirostris
Fairly large wren with a long tail and bill. Prominent white eyebrow contrasts with dark brown crown and paler throat. Rusty above and buff below; the tail and wings are dark barred. Found at the edges of dense forests, second growth, light woodlands, and mangroves where it is usually difficult to see. The song, usually delivered in duet, consists of a loud combination of melodic whistles.
Identification
The long-billed wren is 19 to 21.5 cm (7.5 to 8.5 in) long and weighs 20 to 21 g (0.71 to 0.74 oz). The crown and nape of adults of the nominate subspecies are rich dark brown that becomes progressively more reddish to the rump; the lower back has obscure bars. Their tail is reddish brown with darker bars. They have an off-white supercilium, a darkish brown eyestripe, cheeks mottled off-white and dark gray, and a blackish malar stripe. Their throat color ranges from whitish to pale buff; their chest is reddish buff and the belly a deep rich buff. Juveniles are almost the same but their facial markings are not as distinct. C. l. bahiae is paler overall than the nominate, with the underparts' colors being much less saturated.
Taxonomy
The long-billed wren has been treated as being conspecific with the buff-breasted wren (Cantorchilus leucotis). It has two subspecies, the nominate C. l. longirostris and C. l. bahiae. The latter has been suggested for elevation to species status.
- Scientific name
- Cantorchilus longirostris
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1819)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Troglodytidae
- Genus
- Cantorchilus
Range and habitat
C. l. bahiae is the more northerly subspecies of long-billed wren; it is found in the "bulge" of eastern Brazil from Piauí south to Minas Gerais and east to the Atlantic coast. C. l. longirostris is found in a narrower coastal band from Bahia south to eastern Santa Catarina. The species inhabits secondary forest, the edges and shrubby clearings of primary forest, mangroves, caatinga, and restinga. In elevation it ranges from sea level to 900 m (3,000 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Timor Flowerpecker
Dicaeum hanieli
Small and stout forest-dweller that hops and buzzes about in the canopy like a large, active insect. Note male’s iridescent dark blue back, red chest patch, and black line extending partway down the white belly. As with many other flowerpeckers, the female is considerably duller, with a red rump patch being the only patch of bright color on her otherwise gray-brown plumage. Endemic to Timor, where found in montane and foothill forests. Song is a brief, high-pitched and silvery burst of whistled notes: “tsee’di-lee’see.”
Blackstart
Oenanthe melanura
A small wheatear. Overall lead-gray with a prominent black tail which it fans continuously; often hops on the ground. Lives in rocky deserts and semi-arid zones; often found in desert wadis near trees and bushes and sometimes around human habitation. Can be very tame and bold. Its song is a beautiful, melancholic series of flutey syllables.
Pale-winged Starling
Onychognathus nabouroup
A large glossy-black starling that shows whitish wing patches in flight. Pairs and small groups are resident in semi-desert and desert, where they prefer rocky areas and cliffs, but they also occur in towns and scrubland foraging for fruit and invertebrates. The species breeds semi-colonially on cliffs between October and April. A ringing melodious “preeeeooo” flight call and varied warbling often draws attention to it. The Pale-winged Starling sometimes flocks together with the similar Red-winged Starling, which differs by having brick-red (not whitish) wing patches in flight, a graduated (not square) tail, and dark red (not orange) eyes.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.