Indian Nuthatch
Sitta castanea
Only nuthatch in most of its range with gray upperparts and brick-red underparts. From crown to upper mantle, the gray is a lighter shade than the remainder of the upperparts. Strong dark eye-stripe starts from the bill, broadening toward the sides of the neck, contrasting with the white throat. Female is similar but has lighter chestnut underparts and dirty white on the throat. In a narrow zone where it overlaps with the very similar Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, Indian differs in the contrastingly paler crown and nape, the smaller bill, and the lack of white scallops on the vent. Primarily seen in deciduous forests; occurs in pairs or family groups, sometimes along with Velvet-fronted Nuthatches, with which it broadly overlaps in range. Call is a loud, mellow, rapid trill of 7-8 notes: “pi-pi-pi-pi-pi-pi.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Sitta castanea
- Authority
- Lesson, RP, 1830
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Sittidae
- Genus
- Sitta
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Rufous-throated Wren-Babbler
Spelaeornis caudatus
Tiny brown ball of a bird with a gray face, a scaled chest, and a bright orange throat. Like other wren-babblers, often remains well hidden in dense undergrowth. Restricted to the eastern Himalayas, where it inhabits gullies, ravines, and valleys with extensive cover in foothill and montane forests. Song is a loud, bright “witchity-witchity-witchity!”
Andean Cock-of-the-rock
Rupicola peruvianus
One of the iconic birds of the Andes. Fairly large, significantly larger and chunkier than a thrush. Found in cloud forest at middle elevations, most often at a dawn display site where males make piglike squeals and jump and dance for females. Sometimes seen elsewhere in the forest, especially at fruiting trees. Males can be either brilliant crimson or orange, always with black wings and broad silver tertials, orange legs, and puffy rounded crest. Female duller brown with smaller crest; note staring pale eye. Nests on large rocks or cliff faces. Only similar species is Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, but no range overlap.
Pallid Swift
Apus pallidus
Medium-sized swift, dark overall with a white throat patch. Like Common Swift, nests in buildings and cliff faces, often in coastal regions, and forages over a wide range of habitats. Very similar to Common Swift but with slightly paler plumage overall (plumage tones of both species greatly influenced by lighting), subtly blunter wings, and less deeply forked tail. Shrill screaming call is subtly different from that of Common Swift as well: slightly deeper, and sometimes incorporating a slight “hiccup” at the end. Many dark swifts are not safely identified in the field.
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