Cabanis's Ground-Sparrow
Melozone cabanisi
Rather local large sparrow of foothills and highlands in central Costa Rica. Found in brushy woodland and edge and overgrown clearings; usually on or near the ground and often in pairs. Like other ground-sparrows, spends most of its time skulking in shady and often dense cover. Large black spot in middle of chest. Head pattern is distinctive: rusty cap, black forehead and cheek wrapping around a white face with a beady dark eye.
Identification
It is on average 15 cm long and weighs 28 g. The adult has a stubby dark-grey bill, unstreaked olive-brown upperparts, a rufous crown and mainly white underparts. Young birds are browner above, have yellower underparts, and a duller indistinct head pattern. The rufous of the crown extends to behind the eye and is bordered on its anterior edge with black. This black border is broken by a white eye ring. The forehead is white, bordered below with a thin black line; there is a black malar stripe, and a black central breast patch.
Taxonomy
Genus: Melozone; Family: Passerellidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Melozone cabanisi
- Authority
- (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1868)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Genus
- Melozone
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Symposiachrus julianae
A medium-sized bird of lowland forest interior on Kofiau. Slate-gray above, white below, black face and silver-gray bill. Undertail is white with a black band in the base and thin black line at the tip. Forages actively at all levels. Unlikely to be mistaken. Northern Fantail has a dark chest band and Black-browed Triller has white marks in the wing. Voice, buzzy notes similar to Spot-winged Monarch.
White-throated Nightjar
Eurostopodus mystacalis
Large nightjar of the eastern ranges of Australia, most commonly seen in the late evening when hawking over water or over clearings in forests. Primarily dark gray, with extensive barring. All-dark tail and fairly plain wing evident in flight. Song is a unique bubbling that rises in pitch and frequency.
Campo Flicker
Colaptes campestris
Large and typically terrestrial woodpecker. Found in open habitats such as savannas and grasslands and often seen foraging in groups. The body is heavily barred above and below with a dark cap, yellow cheeks, and a yellow collar. Males have a red moustache, blackish in females. The throat is black in the northern subspecies and white in the southern “Field Flicker” subspecies.
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