Plain-colored Seedeater
Catamenia inornata
Small finchlike bird with a large range from western Venezuela to Argentina. Primary found at high elevations in the Andes, but occurs lower towards the southern part of its range. Male is gray overall with a stout pinkish bill and rusty undertail coverts. Female is brownish and streaky with a dingy bill and warmer undertail coverts. Look for pairs or flocks in open habitats including paramo.
Identification
The plain-colored seedeater (Catamenia inornata) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.
Taxonomy
Genus: Catamenia; Family: Thraupidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Catamenia inornata
- Authority
- (Lafresnaye, 1847)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Catamenia
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
Migration pattern: Vertical migration.
Conservation
Population trend: rising.
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Pygmy Nuthatch
Sitta pygmaea
Small nuthatch of coniferous forests in western North America. Note dark grayish-brown cap and buffy underparts with grayish sides. Very similar plumage to Brown-headed Nuthatch, but no range overlap. Usually occurs in small flocks high in the crowns of pine trees, often mixed with other songbirds. Listen for cute pips and squeaks.
White-bridled Finch
Melanodera melanodera
Handsome “finch” (actually a tanager); scarce and local on grassy Patagonian steppe, but fairly common locally on heathland in Falklands; also ranges to coastal dunes, mainly in winter. Found in pairs or small groups, feeding on the ground. Male is distinctive with a black throat framed in white and yellow wing and tail edgings; bright sulfur-yellow wings of mainland birds flash in flight while Falkland birds are dull-winged. Female is streaky overall and is best identified by habitat, company of males, and yellow edgings to wing and tail feathers. Compare with female Plumbeous Sierra-Finch and female Yellow-bridled Finch.
Balearic Shearwater
Puffinus mauretanicus
Breeds on islands in the western Mediterranean and moves to offshore waters in Britain and southwest Europe mainly in late summer and autumn. Small, stiff-winged seabird often found in association with Manx Shearwater, which is similar in size and shape. Balearic is dark brown above, dingy pale brownish below, usually with white belly, but lacks strongly contrasting black-and-white pattern of Manx.
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