Cock-tailed Tyrant

Alectrurus tricolor

A remarkable flycatcher; males are black above and white below with a broad tail that has longer central feathers and is usually held perpendicular to the others and spread like a fan. Females are mottled brown above and whitish below without the cocked tail. Occurs in open, humid, and tall grass savanna areas that have been well preserved. Mostly silent.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Alectrurus tricolor
Authority
(Vieillot, 1816)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Tyrannidae
Genus
Alectrurus

Range and habitat

Migration
Complete migrants

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Other Birds

Blackish Antbird

Blackish Antbird

Cercomacroides nigrescens

Medium-sized, slender, and rather long-tailed antbird with a large but disjunct range. Males are dark gray with small white spots on the wings. Females are cinnamon below and darker olive-brown above. Most readily identified by voice: an intro note followed by a descending chuckle. Skulks in dense understory of forests mainly in the lowlands, but also into the foothills of the east slope of the Andes.

Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush

Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush

Ianthocincla sukatschewi

Brown laughingthrush with a gray wing patch and snowy white cheek. Localized and uncommon even in its restricted range, where it is typically found on the ground and in the undergrowth of coniferous and mixed forests. Usually forages in pairs and small flocks. In areas where it is accustomed to human presence (e.g., Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area) it can be accommodating but not extremely tame. Song is a loud and vibrant “chewEE, chewEE!”.

Isabelline Wheatear

Isabelline Wheatear

Oenanthe isabellina

A large pale wheatear. Gray-brown above with warm orangish tones on white underparts and a pale white eyebrow. Tail is predominantly black with white edges and it contrasts sharply with its snow-white rump. Somewhat similar in coloration to a toned-down female Northern Wheatear, but visibly larger, shorter-tailed, and longer-billed (all of which are accentuated by the typically tall, erect posture). Inhabits flat, open areas, often at middle to high elevations. Remarkable song has a tumbling quality that includes long ringing whistles, chattering, and imitations of other sounds in the surrounding environment. Calls include shorter whistles and hard “chak’s,” like rocks being struck together.

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