Southern Crag-Martin
Ptyonoprogne fuligula
A hefty brownish member of the swallow family. Darker on the back and paler below. Note the slightly forked tail with white spots. Nests in canyons, escarpments, and gorges, as well as towns and villages; frequently in arid areas. Often seen in pairs or small groups; in winter congregates in larger flocks. Not very vocal, but sometimes gives a short, dry trill. At a distance, can be confused with “Riparia” martins; look for this species’ bright white tail patches. Separation from Red-throated Crag-Martin may be tricky, but there is little or no overlap in range.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Ptyonoprogne fuligula
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Genus
- Ptyonoprogne
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Long-tailed Thrush
Zoothera dixoni
Earthen-toned and rather heavy-bellied thrush. Matte brown above and white below with dense black scaling on the underparts. Chinese Thrush and species of the Alpine Thrush complex can be similar; note Long-tailed’s wingbars, fine scaling (not solid dots), and proportionally longer tail. Forages on the forest floor in foothill and montane forest, especially in areas with rhododendrons and conifers; descends in elevation in the winter. Song sounds tired and drawn-out, consisting of long buzzy notes and hoarse warbling.
Helmeted Manakin
Chiroxiphia galeata
Males are striking with a mostly glossy black body, but with a red forehead, crest, and back. Females are uniformly olive-green and also crested. Locally common in gallery forests embedded in savannas where it often accompanies mixed-species flocks. The song is a trilling series of alternately soft and loud whistles.
Cream-winged Cinclodes
Cinclodes albiventris
Fairly common in the high Andes, where found at bogs, lakeshores, along streams, in agricultural areas of villages, usually near water. Feeds on the ground with a hopping and shuffling gait, sometimes cocking tail. Often in same areas as similar but larger and less numerous White-winged Cinclodes. Cream-winged is distinguished by duller brown (less rusty) upperparts, pale buffy tail corners (bold white on White-winged), and narrower white wing stripe shown in raised wing song display.
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