Barred Rail
Gallirallus torquatus
A strikingly marked rail with a short cocked tail. Olive-brown above and heavily barred black-and-white below and on throat, with a rufous band across the chest. Face is strikingly black with a thick white stripe. Favors damp marshy grassland up to 1000 meters of elevation. Similar to Buff-banded Rail, but easily identified by its white facial stripe and lack of a white eyebrow. Often heard giving a loud, harsh croaking chorus.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Gallirallus torquatus
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rallidae
- Genus
- Gallirallus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Chestnut-throated Seedeater
Sporophila telasco
Fairly common in desert lowlands, favoring agricultural fields, weedy and grassy areas, and brushy hedgerows; often sings from prominent perches such as utility wires. Note small size but with a very stout, stubby bill. Male plumage variable; clean whitish and slate-gray overall with dark rusty chin in full breeding plumage, but often messy and mottled. Female is drab pale buffy with a streaked back; note her big, stubby pinkish bill.
Rufous Woodpecker
Micropternus brachyurus
Odd medium-sized brownish woodpecker with a short dark bill. Overall coloration and wing markings vary considerably across a wide range. Males have a red patch under the eye. Gives a range of loud, insistent calls, including a sharp “weep weep weep!” Distinctive drum accelerates then trails off. Forages throughout the levels of the forest, often with mixed-species flocks. Frequently drills into ant nests.
Spix's Guan
Penelope jacquacu
Large, stocky brown bird. Largely arboreal, but often seems too large or clumsy for its tree-dwelling habits. Calls loudly when flushing from a tree and makes crashing noises as it lands roughly in another tree. Found around forest edges and young forest as well as in more mature forests. Typically found singly or in pairs, occasionally in larger groups. Larger and darker than chachalacas with more prominent red skin on throat.
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