Speckled Mourner
Laniocera rufescens
Scarce inhabitant of humid evergreen forest in tropical lowlands, where lives mainly at middle levels in shady understory. Often perches still and rather upright for long periods, sallying out occasionally for fruit and small invertebrates. Plumage rusty overall with paler eyering, darker wings marked with big rusty spots, and faint dusky scaling on breast. Yellow shoulder tufts usually concealed, but shown when excited. Much commoner Rufous Mourner similar but plainer and sleeker.
Identification
The speckled mourner grows to a length of about 20 cm (8 in). It has a rounded head and a narrow yellow ring round the eye. The upper parts are reddish-brown with some barring on the wings, and the underparts are a similar colour, often with darker scaling. Males have a tuft of yellow feathers on the breast, but this is usually kept concealed. The rufous mourner (Rhytipterna holerythra) has similar colouring but has a differently-shaped head, a narrower-based beak (it is an insect-eater) and lacks the breast and wing markings. Another bird with which it could be confused is the rufous piha (Lipaugus unirufus), but that has a broader-based beak as befits an omnivorous diet, and more uniform colouring, with no yellow pectoral tuft.<p>This bird is of a retiring nature and seldom seen, but it makes its presence known with its clear, ringing song, a sequence of about a dozen repeated "Tleeyr, tleeyeei, tleeyeei, tleeyeei ...", sung from a low perch.
Taxonomy
Genus: Laniocera; Family: Tityridae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Laniocera rufescens
- Authority
- (Sclater, PL, 1858)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tityridae
- Genus
- Laniocera
Range and habitat
The speckled mourner is found in Central America and northern South America, its range extending from Mexico to Panama, Belize, Colombia and Ecuador. It occurs in the middle and lower parts of the canopy in moist forest, at altitudes of up to about 1,000 m (3,300 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Red-chested Buttonquail
Turnix pyrrhothorax
Small, dark, secretive buttonquail with pale eye, found in dense grassland habitats, where most commonly observed exploding from cover and flying rapidly away. In flight, note the fairly uniformly dark upperparts, with less contrast between flight feathers and coverts than in most other buttonquail. Adult female has rich rusty-orange chest; male paler, with white chin. Call is a repeated "oom-oom-oom-oom," with end of each note ascending in pitch.
Pale Rockfinch
Carpospiza brachydactyla
A unique passerine that resembles a sparrow, finch, or lark, elongated and neat looking. Very plain overall with pale sandy-gray plumage, two rather prominent whitish wingbars, and a long conical bill. Breeds in semi-arid rocky hills and mountains, often nomadic. During migration found in a variety of open and arid habitats. Song is a distinctive cicada-like "Zzzziiiiiiiii… zzzziiiiiiiii…," given from a prominent low perch such as a bush, rock, or low tree.
Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
Medium brown above with contrasting reddish tail. Dark spots on breast do not continue all the way down belly like Wood Thrush. Found in wooded areas; often hops on the ground or skulks in dense patches of shrubbery. Winters further north than other thrushes; many stay in the U.S. Listen for its beautiful song that is higher pitched than other thrushes with a steady introductory note; also gives low "chup" call note.
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