Spot-winged Grosbeak
Mycerobas melanozanthos
A large, heavy-billed finch. Male is black above and yellow below with white streaks and spots on the wings. Female is patchy black above and yellow below with heavy black streaking all over the underparts. Male closely resembles White-winged Grosbeak, but Spot-winged has a yellow (not black) chest, and smaller and more numerous spots on the wings. Inhabits submontane areas, particularly in mixed forests. Often seen in pairs or small flocks, but may gather in large flocks near fruiting trees. Call is a mellow descending note.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Mycerobas melanozanthos
- Authority
- (Hodgson, 1836)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Mycerobas
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Baudo Oropendola
Psarocolius cassini
This impressively large and colorful oropendola is found only in lowland and foothill rainforest in northwestern Colombia. Its salmon-colored cheek patches along with chestnut back and belly distinguish it from Black Oropendola; also note the yellow tail and orange bill tip. Male is larger than female. Usually seen in canopy of fruiting trees in clearings and at forest edge. Song is a rising gurgle that ends in a squeak, and also gives raspy “chuck” calls.
Pale-billed Hornero
Furnarius torridus
Chunky, chestnut-colored bird found only near large rivers in the western part of the Amazon basin. Plumage is chestnut-brown with pale eyebrow, throat, and belly. Separated from Pale-legged Hornero by darker breast, face, and crown; from Lesser Hornero by larger size, darker breast, and pale (not dark) legs. Inhabits understory of densely wooded and seasonally flooded forest along rivers and on river islands. Song is a descending whinny.
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel
Hydrobates furcatus
Unique among storm-petrels in having an entirely silvery-gray plumage. Aside from overall plumage color, look for contrasting dark underwings, dark mask around eye, and deeply forked tail. Breeds on offshore islands across the North Pacific, from Japan to California. Fairly common over cool water, often not far from shore. Found singly or in large flocks, often mixed with other storm-petrels.
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