Guianan Gnatcatcher

A medium-sized woodshrike with grayish-brown upperparts, black facial mask, white rump, and gray tail with white outer tail feathers. Bill strongly hooked, dark grayish-brown in color. Underparts white. Similar to Malabar Woodshrike and Large Woodshrike, but generally found in drier forests; also note prominent white supercilium. Usually found in dry forested areas and shrublands. Bright, fast-paced song starts out with two strident “wheeet” notes, followed by a descending series of shorter notes. Calls vary, but usually sound like isolated fragments of song.

Tiny, mouse-like bird of tepui forest understory. Entirely dark rufous-brown with a stubby tail. Found only in humid, mossy forest on tepui slopes, mostly above 1000 meters, where it is difficult to see, staying close to the ground as it crawls over roots, rocks, and large branches. Usually encountered alone and does not follow mixed-species flocks. Most easily detected by its extraordinary song: a variable series of short, pure whistles, rising and falling but usually ending with several notes on the same pitch; humanlike and easily imitated. May pop into view in response to imitation or playback, bobbing nervously before disappearing. Could be confused with Tepui Wren, but is darker brown overall and lacks buffy eyebrow.

A medium-sized pallid and delicately-patterned sandgrouse. Pale and sandy overall. Note male’s silver-gray eyebrow and orange cheek and throat. Female has a paler version of the male’s pattern, as well as a speckled nape and chest. Lacks breast bands, unlike Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse. Very similar to Crowned Sandgrouse, but note the present species’ tail filaments and different facial pattern. Note the strong contrast in two-toned underwings when in flight. Flight call is a characteristic “Waka! Waka!” Favors sandy or stony desert plains where it breeds on the ground. Congregates to drink in waterholes in the morning, often flying back and forth over long distances in large flocks.