Tumbesian Tyrannulet
Nesotriccus tumbezanus
Small, drab flycatcher of dry forest and desert scrub in northwestern Peru and southwestern Ecuador. Plumage is gray and brown, lacking yellow tones, with brown wingbars and a pale eye stripe. Round crown and lack of crest help separate it from Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet and Gray-and-white Tyrannulet. Very similar to Marañon Tyrannulet (they were formerly considered to be the same species and called Mouse-colored Tyrannulet). Differences are very subtle, and range is often the best clue. Tumbes Tyrannulet is found primarily in the western lowlands, reaching only into the lower foothills of the Andes. Vocalizations tend to be shorter and more abrupt than those of Marañon Tyrannulet, and include a quick “widichit!” and “peedit!” as well as various sharp squeaks and rasps.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Nesotriccus tumbezanus
- Authority
- (Taczanowski, 1877)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Genus
- Nesotriccus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Ryukyu Flycatcher
Ficedula owstoni
Lovely small flycatcher, formerly considered a subspecies of more widely distributed Narcissus Flycatcher. Both sexes are very similar to Narcissus Flycatcher; male averages less black on the crown and back, has a greenish tinge to the upperparts, and lacks Narcissus’s extensive bright orange tones in the throat and brow. Female is extremely similar to female Narcissus, and may be inseparable in many cases; some have a very slight greenish tinge to the upperparts, compared with the warmer brown backs of Narcissus. Young males are similar to females, but with occasional hints of brighter yellowish coloration on the underparts. Endemic to the Ryukyu Islands, but has been known to stray to the East Asian mainland. Inhabits well-shaded hill forests. Song is a bright, whistled series of notes “wee-ti! Wee-dee-di, wee-ti!” Calls include a dry chatter and a low “chuk” note.
Vulturine Guineafowl
Acryllium vulturinum
An unusual long-necked, long-tailed guineafowl with a mostly naked head. The blue breast is overlaid with long black-and-white feathers, and there is a chestnut patch on the nape. Immatures are duller and brownish, but usually associate with adults. Found in dry savanna and thornscrub, almost always in flocks, which vary from a few individuals up to dozens. The call is an agitated-sounding up-and-down rattling series, similar to the call of Helmeted Guineafowl, but higher-pitched.
Wakatobi White-eye
Zosterops flavissimus
Bright yellowish white-eye found only on the Tukangbesi Islands off southeastern Sulawesi. Common to abundant in open coastal forest, forest edge, scrubby areas, gardens, plantations, and towns. Song is a jumbled series of high-pitched notes; it is a common sound during early mornings and late evenings on islands. Calls include sharp descending cheeps and sparrow-like tweets.
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