Red-bellied Grackle
Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster
Unmistakable Colombian endemic: large, long-tailed, and all-black with a bright red belly and piercing yellow eye. Sexes similar. Found in small flocks in the canopy of cloud forest from around 1,000–2,400 m, sometimes in mixed flocks with jays or caciques. Listen for loud shrieks and gurgles.
Identification
The male red-bellied grackle grows to about 30 cm (12 in) and the female about 27 cm (10.6 in). The sexes are similar in appearance being entirely black apart from a red belly and red under-tail coverts. The bill is conical in shape and the irises are white or yellow. When held in the hand it is possible to see that the feathers of the head, neck and throat have shiny, naked shafts and thick, narrow webs.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster
- Authority
- (de Tarragon, L, 1847)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Icteridae
- Genus
- Hypopyrrhus
Range and habitat
The red-bellied grackle is endemic to Colombia where it is found in all three Andean ranges at altitudes of 800 to 2,400 m (2,600 to 7,900 ft) above sea level. Its natural habitat is tropical forest, but the trees are increasingly being felled for timber and to make way for agriculture, and little virgin forest remains within its range. However, it can tolerate some disturbance and can be seen at forest edges, in plantations, on cleared land, in scrub, over pasture and beside roads.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Except during the breeding season, the red-bellied grackle is usually seen in small, noisy groups in the canopy. Sometimes these are mixed flocks with other grackles, and sometimes they may include Oropendolas. The grackles feed on fruit and insects, scrambling about among the branches and foliage, and sometimes clinging upside down. Breeding takes place between March and August. The nest is a cup-shaped structure in the fork of a tree, loosely composed of sticks and dead leaves. The eggs are greenish-grey, blotched and streaked with dark brown and lilac. The giant cowbird (Molothrus oryzivorus) sometimes lays its eggs in the grackle's nest.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Gray Tit-Flycatcher
Fraseria plumbea
A gray flycatcher that has a distinctive blackish tail with white outer tail feathers. It forages more like a warbler than a typical flycatcher, flitting through foliage searching carefully for insects; seldom sallies to catch flies. Often it leans forward with its tail slightly raised and spread, a behavior that may flush insects nearby. It forages unobtrusively in broadleaf woodland, thickets, and forest edge, where it is most often detected by its trembling, mournful “wheeely-wheerr” song. The similar Gray-throated Tit-Flycatcher prefers lowland rainforest and has an all-dark tail and a plain gray face, while Ashy Flycatcher has an all-dark tail and hunts by perching and sallying like a typical flycatcher.
Little Bunting
Emberiza pusilla
Small bunting with an attractive contrasting head pattern: black crown with red-brown central stripe and pale eyering. Rufous cheeks bordered by narrow black lines framing the eyes. In the nonbreeding season, less bright overall but white wingbars more conspicuous. Breeds in taiga forests and open tundra with scattered birches and willows, often near water; song is a pleasant two- or three-part series of bright, buzzy warbled notes. Winters in various open habitats, including fields, brushy roadside ditches, and gardens. Often attracts attention by its sharp clicking "zick" call note.
Stub-tailed Spadebill
Platyrinchus cancrominus
Tiny ‘cute’ flycatcher found in fairly open but shady understory of tropical lowland forest, mainly in humid areas. Appearance is distinctive, with brownish upperparts, striking face pattern, and stubby tail. Can be quite common but easily overlooked. Usually draws attention by its bright, nasal chi-dik or chi-di-dik call, usually given just after a short flight, after which it sits still and is frustratingly difficult to see.
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