Garnet Pitta

A medium-sized creeping bird of montane forest. Mainly a dull, gray-brown color with pale flecks on the flanks, a paler throat. Female has a rufous moustache stripe. The only treecreeper on New Guinea. Climbs up a trunk, then flies down to the base of another trunk. Sometimes followed by a fantail. The only other similar colored birds with this behaviour are the sittellas, which are distinctively smaller and most have a streaked back. Call, a level series of piping notes which increase in volume.

Bamboo-loving wren of the Andes known for its beautiful song duets. Plumage and song vary geographically. All birds are brown and gray overall with black and white face and mustache stripes. In most of Ecuador and in southwestern Colombia, it has black spots or speckles on its breast. Elsewhere it lacks breast markings and has a black crown. Pairs skulk in dense bamboo, and their loud, whistled song duets carry over long distances.

Bland, unremarkable-looking medium-sized babbler of open forest, forest edges, clearings, brushy riparian, and overgrown margins of cultivation in lowland and foothill areas. Extremely generic-looking, with no bright colors, a medium-length tail, and an average bill. Evenly-proportioned body gives it a rather bulbul-like outline. Note unmarked gray face, dark gray crown, dark rufous tail, and faint brownish wash on the chest. Especially similar to Moustached Babbler, but note present species’ darker crown, plain face (no moustache), and more slender bill. Scaly-crowned is also similar, but has a bright rufous patch on the forecrown. Plainly-colored Pellorneum babblers can be confusing, but note differences in proportions and profile. Most frequently-heard song is a beautiful but eerily human-like rising series of even whistles; when duetting, one bird often gives explosive “wik!” calls in response. Also gives a quicker, more cheery, and less human-like version of the song, as well as a short melancholy up-and-down series of whistles.