Vogelkop Whistler

Plump, medium-sized bird with long legs, short bill, and very short tail: the typical antpitta shape. Mostly rufous overall with gray nape and lores. Sexes similar. Solitary and very shy and difficult to see, little known about its habits. Mostly near streams, on or close to ground in forest edges, tree falls, elfin forest, and mossy cloud forest. Easy to find by voice, a series of low whistled notes “wü, wü-wü-wü…wüwü.” Endemic to the Andes of Venezuela.

Fairly common brownish bird found in shrubby grasslands and páramo in the high Andes from northern Colombia to central Peru. Notable features include bold white streaking above and below and rufous wings that contrast with its brown body. Typically shows a thin white eyebrow. Some variation across range: birds in East Andes of Colombia have a tawnier face while birds in Peru are whiter below. Compare with Streak-backed Canastero, which has much plainer underparts. Can be fairly sneaky and difficult to see on the ground or in dense shrubs, but occasionally perches in the open, especially when singing. Listen for accelerating series of harsh “scree” notes ending in a hard, fast trill.

Robust black-and-white bushshrike. There is a pale cinnamon wash on the belly and a white stripe across the top of the wing. Found in dense microhabitats within forest, woodland, thickets, and gardens. Not particularly shy, but spends most of its time in dense cover, usually in pairs. Highly vocal bird with a variety of calls. The song is a synchronized duet of hollow hoots from the male and ratcheting calls from the female. Has a very similar color pattern to other boubous, but its underparts are paler than those of Southern Boubou and darker than those of Swamp Boubou. Has a white stripe on the wing, unlike Zanzibar Boubou.