Orange-crowned Euphonia
Euphonia saturata
Small finchlike bird, compact and short tailed with a stout bill. Male has notably orange-tinged underparts and dark upperparts with a purplish sheen. The orange-yellow crown is extensive (not restricted to the forehead like many other euphonias). Also note the underside of the tail, which is entirely dark. Females are plain yellowish-olive overall and difficult to separate from other euphonias, especially Thick-billed, but usually seen in pairs or small groups with males. Frequents woodlands, edges, and clearings in lowlands and foothills, often in fairly dry regions. Can be found in mixed-feeding flocks with other species such as warblers and tanagers.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Euphonia saturata
- Authority
- (Cabanis, 1861)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Euphonia
Range and habitat
It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and heavily degraded former forest.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Western Tinkerbird
Pogoniulus coryphaea
Dark and distinctive little tinkerbird. There is a yellow stripe along the back from the crown to the rump, a white moustache stripe, and strong yellow marks on the wings. Found in and around montane forest. Most often detected by voice: a dry series of several quick “tet” notes, repeated over and over. Also gives a slower series of single calls.
Orange-backed Woodpecker
Chrysocolaptes validus
Dressed all in patchwork, this crested woodpecker is brightly colored and unmistakable; no other large crested woodpecker in its range has wingbars. Male has a faded reddish crest, an orange breast, and a whitish back with a warm buffy tinge. Female has a brown head and breast and a whiter back. Calls are sharp and strident, and can be given singly or, more commonly, as part of prolonged series in which pairs of notes are squished together to produce a squeaky-toy sound: “pee-pee-pee-peeyit-pee-pee-pee-peeyit!” Found in forests from lowlands up into hilly and montane areas.
Tepui Spinetail
Cranioleuca demissa
Small, creeping bird of highland forest canopy. Chestnut cap, wings, and tail contrast with olive-brown back and gray underparts. At close range, note somewhat decurved bill. Found only in humid highland forests of the tepui region (above 800 m), particularly in areas with heavy growth of mosses and epiphytes. Forages by hitching up large branches and tree trunks, and also creeps along limbs, inspecting bromeliads and bark crevices from which it gleans insect prey. Often encountered with mixed-species flocks. Voice is a long series of high tinkling notes, dropping in pitch and accelerating. No similar species occurs in tepui highlands.
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