Rufous Gnateater
Conopophaga lineata
Small, compact bird with long legs and a short-tail. Found in the understory of dense humid forests and open woodlands. Note the rufous-orange face and breast, pale collar, olive-brown upperparts, and buffy belly. Males have a bold gray eyebrow which is duller in females, resembling Black-cheeked Gnateater, but with a bicolored bill.
Identification
It is a small, rounded bird, 13 cm in length with a short tail and fairly long legs. The plumage is mostly reddish brown. There is a white stripe above the eye (grey in the female) which ends in a tuft of feathers which can be hidden. The call is a series of quiet cheeps which become faster and higher-pitched. At dusk and dawn the males make a buzzing sound with their wing feathers as they fly around their territory.<p>The rufous gnateater feeds by moving quickly from one perch to another through undergrowth close to the ground. When it sees an insect it makes a short flight down to the ground or to overhead leaves to catch it.<p>The cup-shaped nest is built in a tree and made of sticks and moss. The female lays two buff-coloured eggs, oval or slightly conical in shape.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Conopophaga lineata
- Authority
- (Wied-Neuwied, M, 1831)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Conopophagidae
- Genus
- Conopophaga
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Vanikoro Whistler
Pachycephala vanikorensis
Brightly-colored male has a bright golden belly, a black chest band and head, and a clean white throat. He appears to have a black “shawl” with golden wings and a black tail. Female is considerably duller, being olive-brownish above and yellow below, with a brown breast. Endemic to Vanikoro, in the southeastern Solomons, where it is found in most island habitats, though avoids villages. Voice includes a sequence of sparsely spaced, thin, uninspired whistles. Formerly grouped with Utupua Whistler and Nendo Whistler under “Temotu Whistler.”
Orange-eyed Thornbird
Phacellodomus erythrophthalmus
Medium-sized thornbird with a long tail. Note orange eyes and rufous forehead, throat, and tail while the body is largely brown. Similar to Orange-breasted Thornbird, but has orange rather than dark eyes. Found in pairs on the edge of humid forests, usually near marshes and water bodies where it builds huge stick nests. The song is loud and nasal, usually delivered as a duet.
Yellow-browed Antbird
Hypocnemis hypoxantha
Rather small antbird with a disjunct distribution. Males have a yellow face and underparts with a black crown, eye-line, and streaks on the breast. Females have a yellow streaked crown. Southeastern subspecies has ochraceous lower underparts. Song is a descending and decelerating series of fluted notes becoming harsher at the end. Found in the understory of humid forests, often in areas of transitional forest or poor soils. Rarely accompanies mixed-species flocks. The similar Spix's and Peruvian Warbling-Antbirds have white breasts, and the song of Peruvian is somewhat slower-paced.
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