Rio Negro Gnatcatcher

Bright, tawny flycatcher with a hooked bill. Nearly endemic to western Ecuador, just barely reaching Peru and Colombia. Upperparts and breast are orange-brown, belly is yellow, and wings are dark with brown wingbars. Inhabits rainforest as well as lighter, more disturbed woodland. Usually found perched at mid-levels in the trees, and often pumps its tail. Typical song is a series of about five loud, rising whistles followed by “purr-whip!”

Striking, medium-sized antbird, brown above and rich chestnut below, with a black face and broad white bare eye-ring. Females have thin black bars above. Inhabits the understory of humid forest, where it is always found foraging at army-ant swarms. The song is a series of ascending whistles that finishes with harsh descending notes.

Very plain, long-tailed cisticola. Even in a group that is known for its drabness, this bird stands out for its lack of bold colors and markings! Found in thick vegetation, usually adjacent a body of water. Song is a complicated duet of which the main elements are a descending series of whistles and a variety of rough, scolding “zhrt” notes. As with all cisticolas, habitat and voice are important cues in identification. Similar to Singing Cisticola, but drabber, lacking rufous on the crown and wing.