Arrowhead Warbler
Setophaga pharetra
A small active species found high in moist woodlands. Frequently flicks its tail and often gives impression of being entirely heavily streaked. Blackpoll Warbler can be somewhat similar, but fall birds are tinged with some degree of yellow below, and spring males have a bold white cheek. Black-and-white Warbler is also similar, but it has bold black-and-white stripes (as opposed to distinct streaks as on Arrowhead Warbler) on crown and is usually found creeping along tree trunks or limbs. Call is a hard chip with a slightly squeaky quality. Song is relatively quiet and variable consisting of “tsi” notes; often with two or three introductory notes followed by one or two notes at a lower pitch then several notes at original pitch, given in rapid succession.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Setophaga pharetra
- Authority
- (Gosse, 1847)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Parulidae
- Genus
- Setophaga
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Black-throated Tit
Aegithalos concinnus
Boldly patterned, tiny bird, usually found in groups. Adult gray above, pale below, with yellow eye and black throat and mask separated by white, chestnut-washed flanks. Juvenile has gray rather than orange and lacks black on throat. Significant regional variation in exact facial patterning: Indochinese population birds have a gray crown (bright rufous in other populations) and Himalayan birds have an white oval brow patch. Forages acrobatically in small branches, sometimes hovering at the tips to extract invertebrates. Often difficult to see in dense trees; presence given away by high-pitched contact calls (“tsip”) and thin, rolling trills. Predominantly found in broadleaf and mixed forests in foothills and submontane areas, but can also range into lowlands.
Cameroon Olive-Greenbul
Phyllastrephus poensis
An active but easily overlooked long-tailed greenbul found in flocks in the understory and along the edges of montane forest. Can be found near ant swarms. Has a relatively long brownish tail, generally olive underparts, olive-green upperparts, a pale throat, and a gray face. Usually found at higher elevations than other similar greenbuls. Foraging behavior and tendency to move tail and hold it lower than the body are distinctive. Often detected by its harsh chatter, “chuk-chuk-chuk,” or its bubbling “chuk-CHURR-chrchr” song.
Northern Hawk Owl
Surnia ulula
Unique medium-sized owl of the boreal forest. Remarkably long-tailed for an owl; reminiscent of a small hawk in flight with quick, snappy wingbeats. Pale eyes give it an angry look. Brownish overall with white spotting above, barred underparts, and spotted crown. Feeds on small rodents by sight and sound. Often seen perched on the very top of a spruce tree or snag, surveying the surrounding landscape for prey. When rodent populations crash, large numbers of Northern Hawk Owls can move south of their normal range.
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