Bolivian Tapaculo

Small, often rather active little bird of shady forest understory in humid tropical lowlands; often in areas with understory palms. Usually in pairs at middle levels moving with mixed-species flocks that often include Golden-crowned Warbler and Red-crowned Ant-Tanager. Rather drab brownish overall with tawny bushy crest, paler gray face and throat, and piercing pale eye (can be hard to see in the shade). Often gives a twangy, nasal “dwoi-dwoi-dwoi” call and a high, insectlike, whining whistle.

A medium-sized woodpecker with spotted rather than streaked or barred underparts. The male has unmarked white cheeks and throat, and red moustachial streaks and crown, while the female has a distinctive brown throat, cheek, and eye-stripes. Pairs and small groups avoid drier scrub, preferring mature broadleaved woodland, foraging for ants, termites and their larvae, mostly on the ground. The similar Reichenow’s Woodpecker differs from Bennett’s Woodpecker by being smaller, having a diagnostic speckled throat and less bold facial pattern.

A nest parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of Bar-breasted Firefinch. Breeding males are glossy purplish-black with a pale brownish panel in the wings, while females and non-breeding males are brown and streaky on the back and pale below, with a bold facial pattern. The bill is white and the legs pinkish. Found in a wide variety of open habitats including open woodland, thickets, savanna, cultivated areas, and scrub. Breeding males can be identified with care by their vocalizations and purple gloss. Non-breeding males and females cannot be separated visually from other indigobirds. Imitates the vocalizations of its host firefinches: a low “chip” call and an up-and-down twittering song.