Black-headed Paradise-Flycatcher
Terpsiphone rufiventer
Both sexes show a clean black head and rufous underparts. Males vary considerably across the range. The wing can be completely rufous or have a white stripe; the back can be rufous or gray; and the central tail feathers can be slightly or greatly elongated. Both sexes have a blue bill and ring around the eye. Found in various types of forest and in plantations and thickets. Restless, active, mid-story bird that often joins mixed-species feeding flocks. Call is a series of tearing “shreet” notes, and song a fast, bubbling series of “twee” notes. Similar to other paradise-flycatchers, but easily separated by the rufous underparts and cleanly demarcated black head.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Terpsiphone rufiventer
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Monarchidae
- Genus
- Terpsiphone
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Rufous-throated Sapphire
Hylocharis sapphirina
A small hummingbird with a straight red bill with a black tip. Males have a green back with iridescent violet-blue underparts, a coppery tail, and a fluffy white vent. Females have grayish dark underparts with some dark spots on the chest. Note the rufous chin in both sexes, which can be hard to see. Mostly found in humid forests and wooded savannas.
Gray-mantled Wren
Odontorchilus branickii
A small, warbler-like wren of Andean cloud forest. Plumage is gray and white with a barred tail and vent, brownish crown, and faint streaking on the head. When seen from below in poor lighting conditions, the barred tail is usually the best feature to look for. Stays high in the canopy and is almost always encountered with mixed-species flocks. Vocalizations are very high-pitched and include gravelly trills and siren-like whistles.
Unspotted Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius ridgwayi
Rare, small, and compact cute owl of humid pine-oak and evergreen forest in the highlands of Chiapas and Central America. Strictly nocturnal and usually difficult to see. Most often detected by tooting song, which is prolonged, but its song has a variably hesitant cadence. Unmistakable in range, if seen well: note the big head with white eyebrows, golden eyes, and plain buffy underparts.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.