Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant
Anairetes reguloides
Attractive but rather local little bird of scrubby habitats and dense hedgerows in lowland desert. Mostly stays well hidden, hopping low to high in bushes and trees, tail sometimes held cocked. Sings from atop a bush or other prominent low perch. Readily identified by long spiky crest with a flashy white median patch. Male has solidly black face and throat while female has a whitish face and throat with black streaks. Immature has a plainer face with a whitish throat and shorter crest, but still has a big white flash in crest.
Taxonomy
The pied-crested tit-tyrant's genus, Anairetes, is believed to be most closely related to the genera Mecocerculus and Serpophaga; however, there is no definitive evidence supporting this claim.: 176 Members of the genus Anairetes are known commonly as tit-tyrants because their active foraging behavior and crests are reminiscent of the true tits in the family Paridae.: 177
- Scientific name
- Anairetes reguloides
- Authority
- (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Genus
- Anairetes
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Northern Brownbul
Phyllastrephus strepitans
A drab, long-tailed brownish bird related to greenbuls. The tail is rufous and the throat paler buff. Found in scrub, thickets, and areas of dense woodland, almost always in small and vocal groups. The loud calls are rollicking series of babbling calls, somewhat similar to both woodhoopoe and babbler vocalizations. Very similar to Terrestrial Brownbul, but throat patch is much duller instead of bright white, and tail is more rufous. Also similar to Fischer’s Greenbul, but has dark rather than pale eyes. Separated from other greenbuls by the lack of olive-green in the plumage.
Saffron-billed Sparrow
Arremon flavirostris
Boldly-patterned sparrow found in the understory of deciduous and humid forests and edges from southern Brazil to northeastern Argentina. Usually in pairs on or near the ground. Note the mostly bright orange bill. Also look for the bold black-and-white head pattern and black chest band. Upperparts vary from gray with a greenish shoulder (western part of range) to entirely mossy-green (eastern part of range). The song is a series of high-pitched notes.
Black-and-orange Flycatcher
Ficedula nigrorufa
Tiny, brightly-colored flycatcher. Female is slightly paler than the male, particularly on the head. In addition to typical “flycatching,” also forages on the ground and in dense undergrowth, like a babbler or fulvetta. Inhabits montane shola forests from 1000 meters upwards. Calls are short bursts of buzzy notes.
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