Chestnut-naped Antpitta

Grallaria nuchalis

Large and striking antpitta found from Colombia to extreme northwestern Peru. Typical antpitta shape: plump and short-tailed with long legs. Brown above and medium slaty gray below with rich rufous crown that bleeds into brown head. Small pale patch behind eye. Sexes alike. Shy and very difficult to see; stays on or near the ground in montane forest, usually associated with bamboo thickets. Found from 2,000–3,000 m. Best seen by walking slowly and quietly along forest trails in the early morning or evening; has also been trained to eat worms at several reserves in Colombia and Ecuador.

Identification

The chestnut-naped antpitta (Grallaria nuchalis) is a species of bird in the family Grallariidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Taxonomy

Genus: Grallaria; Family: Grallariidae; Order: Passeriformes.

Scientific name
Grallaria nuchalis
Authority
Sclater, PL, 1860
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Grallariidae
Genus
Grallaria

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Behavior

Migration pattern: Resident species.

Conservation

Population trend: stable.

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Itatiaia Spinetail

Itatiaia Spinetail

Asthenes moreirae

Small, plain, long-billed and long-tailed spinetail with a restricted range. Found in bamboo thickets and clearings in montane forests with grass and shrubs where it forages in the understory. Note the rufous chin contrasting with a dull-brown body. The song is a high-pitched ascending and descending trill.

Moluccan Brush Cuckoo

Moluccan Brush Cuckoo

Cacomantis aeruginosus

A fairly large cuckoo with uniformly dark gray upperparts, head, and throat, with deep chestnut below. Juvenile is brown and heavily barred all over. Confined to forested hills in the Moluccas. Distinguished from Brush Cuckoo by its preference for dense habitats, and by the extension of the chestnut color to the chest. Song is also faster than Brush Cuckoo’s. Piping whistles include “wit-wit-wit-wit…” uttered at relatively level pitch, and piping notes, “pip-pip-pip-pip-pip-pipPIPPIPPIPPIPIPIPPIPIPIPIP…”, getting louder and faster by the end.

Velvet Scoter

Velvet Scoter

Melanitta fusca

Large scoter, with distinctive white patch on wing. Dark chocolate-brown overall; males are darker than females and have small white mark under eye. Note bill pattern: mostly yellow with a dark knob on top and a subtle pinkish tip. Females have two rounded white patches on face. Breeds on ponds, lakes, or rivers in woodland or tundra across much of northern Europe. Winters mainly in coastal waters, sometimes in large flocks. Occasionally found on large inland lakes during migration. Dives frequently, feeding on mollusks and crustaceans.

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