Rusty-breasted Wheatear
Oenanthe frenata
A chunky brownish wheatear of mountain habitats. Note the white eyebrow, black mask, clean white throat, and cinnamon underparts. The tail is mostly black with a white base and rump, forming a thick “T” pattern that is conspicuous in flight. Found in montane grassland, heathland, and cultivated areas. Very similar to Heuglin’s Wheater, but there is little overlap in range, and Rusty-breasted is larger and paler, with a much whiter throat. The song is a long, complex mix of many different components, sometimes given in a flight display.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Oenanthe frenata
- Authority
- (Heuglin, 1869)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Oenanthe
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Alta Floresta Antpitta
Hylopezus whittakeri
Secretive species, almost tailless with long legs. Has a black-spotted breast, white throat, and conspicuous buff “goggles”. Found in humid forest with relatively dense undergrowth, where it moves quietly on the forest floor. Often perches on horizontal dead logs when singing its melancholy series of typically five whistles.
Gray Flycatcher
Empidonax wrightii
Drab, pale-gray flycatcher with little plumage contrast; very similar to other flycatchers, especially Dusky and Hammond's. Often best identified by unique habit of wagging tail downward. Breeding habitat also distinctive: lower, more open habitat than other flycatchers, usually in sagebrush or open juniper forest. In migration and winter, habitat overlaps more with other flycatchers, but still tends to prefer more open areas. Other subtle differences in appearance include shorter wingtips, longer bill, and paler plumage. Song includes hoarse "chivik" phrase and higher, clearer "pseeoo." Call similar to Dusky. Without an excellent view, sometimes best left unidentified.
Greater Scythebill
Drymotoxeres pucheranii
Bulky woodcreeper with a stout, deeply curved bill. Very rare in tall, wet Andean cloud forest. Brown with buffy streaks on head, neck, and underparts. Dual white stripes on face and thicker bill distinguish it from Brown-billed Scythebill. Usually found alone, sometimes with mixed-species flocks; probes for insects while creeping along moss-covered trunks and branches. Gives a variety of nasal, whiny-sounding squeaks.
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