Masked Water-Tyrant
Fluvicola nengeta
Medium-sized terrestrial flycatcher, usually encountered near water and frequently found in urban areas where it can be quite tame. A black mask and wings contrast with the rest of the pale underparts, head, and back. The tail is black with a white tip. The call is a sharp loud “kirt.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Fluvicola nengeta
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Genus
- Fluvicola
Range and habitat
It is found in its major range in eastern and southeastern Brazil in the caatinga and extreme eastern cerrado, and also Atlantic coastal regions; a second smaller disjunct range occurs on the Pacific side of South America in western Ecuador, and coastal border regions of northwest Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
White-throated Treecreeper
Cormobates leucophaea
A dark gray-brown treecreeper with very pale throat and chest. Belly strongly streaked white. Viewed from behind, the head and back are the same color. (Red-browed Treecreeper has gray head contrasting with brown back). In flight shows a broad pale wing-bar. Works its way up the trunks of trees. Calls loudly and clearly with a strong piping whistle. Fairly common in wetter forests in southeast Australia.
Gray Partridge
Perdix perdix
Rotund chickenlike bird with salmon-colored face and thick rusty streaks on sides. Look for dark belly patch, which is obvious on male but reduced or lacking on female. In flight, look for bright orangey tail. Widespread and fairly common throughout much of Europe and central Asia, although populations declining in many areas. Introduced and well-established in North America, primarily in the west but also locally to eastern Canada. Look for flocks on the ground in open areas, especially agricultural fields and edges. Shy and inconspicuous; can be difficult to spot.
Nicholson's Pipit
Anthus nicholsoni
A large, slender pipit that is usually found in rocky areas. Note the pale eyebrow, long tail, and relatively long bill. Prefers dry, open areas with clumps of vegetation and scattered rocks and boulders, typically on slopes. Calls include squeaky sparrow-like chirps and sweet two-noted whistles. Song is a sequence of plaintive whistles, chirps, and other call-like vocalizations strung together with pauses in between. As with many other pipits, can be frustratingly difficult to identify in the field. Habitat and voice are important clues. Very similar to Mountain Pipit, but less streaky, especially on the breast. Larger than African Pipit, with buffy rather than white outer tail feathers.
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