Tepui Vireo
Vireo sclateri
Small, arboreal bird of tepui highlands. Olive-gray above and yellowish below, with a gray head, pinkish bill, and pale eye. One of the most widespread tepui endemics, it occurs in both tall and stunted forest on tepui slopes and on isolated formations at elevations as low as 500 meters. Forages actively, searching foliage for insects and often joining mixed-species flocks. Usually heard before it is seen. Song is a distinctive two-parted whistle, with varying degrees of inflection, the second note lower-pitched. Also gives harsh scold notes like other vireos. Most similar to Lemon-chested Greenlet but has very different voice and occurs at higher elevations.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Vireo sclateri
- Authority
- (Salvin & Godman, 1883)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Vireonidae
- Genus
- Vireo
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Rufous-crested Tanager
Creurgops verticalis
This uncommon tanager is found in the subtropical zone of the Andes from Colombia to Peru. Medium gray above and rich buffy below with a stout hooked bill. The namesake rufous crest, only present on males, is usually visible only as a small crown patch. Compare with Black-eared Hemispingus, which has an obvious black mask. Occurs from around 1,400-2,700m. Singles or pairs forage in the canopy, often following mixed-species flocks.
White-tailed Alethe
Alethe diademata
A forest skulker with clean-cut pale underparts, a gray wash on the side of the breast and face, and rusty brown upperparts and central crown. The tail has distinctive white tips to the outer feathers. Juvenile is heavily spotted above. A shy and inconspicuous resident in the dense understory of lowland and mid-altitude forest up to 1500 meters, found singly and in pairs; several individuals may follow ant swarms, where they lose their fear of humans. Sings a loud musical 3–4 note “whooo-wheet-whooee” and similar melodic notes; also gives harsh “chht” calls.
Pale-footed Bush Warbler
Hemitesia pallidipes
A retiring warbler of densely vegetated forest edges, lightly wooded slopes, and clearings in foothill to montane regions; favors areas with thick ground vegetation. Dull and unremarkable to look at; plain brown above and paler brown below, with a white throat and eyebrow. More contrastingly marked than Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler; smaller and stouter than Manchurian and Japanese Bush Warblers. Song is what sets it apart: a sharp note followed by a quick bout of chattering and squeaking.
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