Silver-eared Laughingthrush
Trochalopteron melanostigma
Attractive medium-sized laughingthrush with a gray body, golden-yellow wings, dark face, and chestnut crown. Also note dark orangish “bib”, the color of which varies by range; northern birds have the brightest patches. Namesake silver ear patches are rather rounded and blend smoothly into the gray of the neck. Scratches around noisily in dense undergrowth, often singly, or in pairs or small flocks; may come out into the open in areas where routinely fed and habituated to people. Found in montane and hill forests, as well as forest edges with dense low growth. Gives a mellow “wowee-wowEER!”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Trochalopteron melanostigma
- Authority
- (Blyth, 1855)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Leiothrichidae
- Genus
- Trochalopteron
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Speckle-breasted Wren
Pheugopedius sclateri
A distinctive medium-sized wren found from central Colombia to northwestern Peru. Occurs from sea level to around 1,600 m, locally higher. Warm brown above with a white eyebrow, streaked black-and-white face, and black spotting on breast. Tail and undertail coverts have strong barring. Pairs are found in the dense understory of scrubby woodland and edges. Listen for the loud sweet song phrases and the distinctive call, like running your finger up a comb.
Gough Island Finch
Rowettia goughensis
A large striking finch with a dagger-like bill and different looking sexes. Male is mostly olive with a black throat and yellow eye-ring and moustache; female is brownish and lacks the black throat. Juvenile similar to female but heavily streaked. A critically endangered species endemic to Gough Island, where it is the only songbird; pairs and family groups are widespread on the island, preferring areas above 300 meters of elevation. Male sings a high-pitched whistle, while female answers with a chatter.
Spectacled Spiderhunter
Arachnothera flavigaster
Large spiderhunter with thick yellow eyerings, a yellow ear tuft, and a long decurved bill. Yellow eyering and cheek splotch serve to distinguish it from most other spiderhunters. Yellow-eared Spiderhunter is very similar but noticeably smaller, with a narrower eyering, faint streaking on the breast (versus plain), and a slightly longer, more slender bill. Found in lowland and foothill forests, where it forages actively in the upper levels. Calls include harsh chip notes.
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