Striped Wren-Babbler

Plump, short-tailed bird of Amazonian rainforest. Both sexes have a chestnut breast. Male has a black face and throat and a bright white tuft behind the eye. Female lacks black in her plumage, and instead of a tuft she has a pale line through her face. Female is similar to female Ash-throated Gnateater but has plain, unmarked wings. Birds in central Brazil south of the Amazon are now considered a separate species, Black-breasted Gnateater; male Chestnut-belted has less black extending only to upper breast; female looks almost identical. Usually seen on a low perch in the understory and may resemble a small antpitta. Vocalizations include a rattling, metallic trill and a short, soft “chuff”.

Small flycatcher of humid tepui forests. Best field marks are grizzled black-and-white face, dark lores, and gray crown. Also note clean grayish-white underparts. Found in forests at middle and higher elevations (above 800 m) on tepui slopes, where it typically occurs in pairs and forages actively for insects, often joining mixed-species flocks. Generally gives only indistinct chip notes while foraging, but may also give an arresting, staccato rattle very unlike other birds in range. Most likely to be confused with the more common Chapman’s Bristle-Tyrant but has conspicuously dark lores and a gray crown and lacks yellow tones on breast and belly.

A small, brownish bird with a thick, rounded tail. Note the black bill, the gray underparts, and the contrasting darker gray sides of the breast. The buff-breasted morph is less common and lacks any gray. Inhabits alpine scrub in the summer. Possibly winters lower down in the plains. The song consists of short clicks and buzzes. Extremely similar to Spotted Bush Warbler; the West Himalayan Bush Warbler is slightly paler, but best told apart by range and song.