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
- 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
Little is known of the breeding of this species. A generally solitary bird, it usually forages alone but it may join small groups of birds of mixed species. Its diet consists mainly of insects and other arthropods, small reptiles and fruit.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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White-winged Shrike-Tanager
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Brown Falcon
Falco berigora
Large-headed falcon with variable brownish plumage ranging from dark chocolate brown, to reddish, to tan. All have a dark moustache mark, long unfeathered lower legs, and a finely barred tail. Take care to identify dark birds from Black Falcon, which has feathered legs, and a more angular heavy-shouldered appearance. When gliding holds its wingtips up. Common resident in rural areas, often perches on power lines, fence posts. Populations tend to move when food and water is scarce.
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