Varied Bunting
Passerina versicolor
Seemingly dark and dull at a distance, males sport a spectacular color pattern when seen up close. Note red nape and throat, brilliant blue forehead, purplish cheek, and red arcs behind the eyes. Body is rich purple set off by a blue rump. Female is exceptionally plain. She is a warm, medium-brown with very few markings, distinguished from other female buntings by plainer wings and belly and curved top of the bill. Prefers brushy habitats often with steep slopes, especially riparian areas and desert washes. Generally uncommon. Listening for their song, a low, rough warble, is often the best way to find them.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Passerina versicolor
- Authority
- (Bonaparte, 1838)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cardinalidae
- Genus
- Passerina
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Cattle Tyrant
Machetornis rixosa
Medium sized flycatcher with fairly widespread range in South America. Superficially resembles a Tropical Kingbird with olive-brown back, yellow belly, and grayish crown. However, Cattle Tyrant is unique for typically being found on or near the ground, where pairs or small flocks follow grazing animals. Found in open habitats including farmland and marshes.
Cuban Trogon
Priotelus temnurus
A splendid medium-sized inhabitant of woodlands; often found in pairs. Its iridescent blue-green back, smooth gray chest, and brilliant red belly easily distinguish it from all other species in range. Usually sits motionless near the middle level of the forest, but when feeding (typically on flowers and fruit) hovers conspicuously. Often found by its loud calls, which are somewhat varied. One common call is a “cu-cu-cu-cu-cu-cu,” often accelerating; another is a resonant quavering “cu-u-low,” given several times in succession.
Ferruginous Antbird
Drymophila ferruginea
Medium-sized antbird with a long black tail. Occupies low to middle levels of humid forests with bamboo where it frequently draws attention to itself with its “tit-tweeh” call. Males have an orange-rufous body and a bold black-and-white striped face. The wings are dark with two white-spotted bars and the black tail is tipped in white. Females are paler with a finely streaked gray crown. Very similar to Bertoni’s Antbird, but Ferruginous females have a gray (not brown) crown and males have less black on the back than Bertoni’s Antbird.
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