Ochraceous Pewee

Contopus ochraceus

This rare flycatcher is restricted to the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama from around 2,200–3,000 m. It is tawny-colored overall, paler yellow on the belly, with two brownish wingbars, an orange lower mandible, and a peaked crest. Very similar to Tufted Flycatcher, but larger and longer-billed. Perches conspicuously on exposed snags at the edge of montane forests. Listen for its piercing “pee-pit!” song and pip calls.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Contopus ochraceus
Authority
Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1869
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Tyrannidae
Genus
Contopus

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Nazca Booby

Nazca Booby

Sula granti

Large seabird, very similar to Masked Booby. Long and pointy on all ends: wings, tail, and bill. Adults mostly gleaming white with black flight feathers and face; note pinkish-orange (not yellow) bill to help separate from adult Masked. Young birds darker overall with brown head contrasting with white belly and dirty brown markings on underwings; very similar to young Masked or even adult Brown Booby. Found in the Pacific Ocean from Mexico to Peru where it feeds on fish; breeds on rocky islands, especially the Galapagos.

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.

Masked Antpitta

Masked Antpitta

Hylopezus auricularis

Medium-sized antpitta of floodplain forest, particularly with palmetto understory, along the confluence of the Ríos Madre de Dios and Bení in the Riberalta area. The only antpitta in range with dark chevrons on underparts or a blue-gray cap. Forages on or near the ground, but generally perches 1-2 m up in the understory or midstory to sing at dawn. Visually distinctive in range, but song deceptively similar to, and perhaps indistinguishable from, local songs of Amazonian Antshrike. Call a more distinctive three to four-part descending whistle.

Start Your Bird Watching Journey

Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.