Rusty Sparrow

A rather long-tailed and long-winged bird with a short stubby head, similar in proportions to a small cuckooshrike. Plumage distinctively clean-cut in black and white, with mostly black upperside and white underside. Black cap reaches the eye. Wings have large white panels. Found in lowland and mountain forest, especially forest edge. Similar to Polynesian Triller, but lacks that species’ white eyebrow, barred underparts, and generally more “messy” appearance. Common melodious song can be rendered as “tee-zeeia-tee-zeeia-tee-zeeia.”

A thick-billed, sparrow-sized songbird. Male has a black hood, a white throat, pale gray upperparts, and a white underside. Female is rufous-brown above and whitish underneath, with dark chest streaking. Juvenile resembles a pale-billed female. Found in varied wooded habitats and forest, where pairs or single birds frequent the understory and subcanopy. Male distinguished from male Golden and Yellow-throated Whistlers by gray back and white underside. Female separated from female Golden and Yellow-throated Whistlers and from Fawn-breasted Whistler by streaked breast and strongly rufous-toned upperparts. Song is a series of strident whistles, including “choo” and “chwee” notes, sometimes in a jumbled series.

Distinctive. Fairly small, plump, and short-tailed. Dark brown above with bold white spotting on underparts. Bill is slightly decurved. Disjunct range. Populations in Venezuelan tepuis and southeastern South America have bold white eyebrow; Andean birds lack this. Almost always found in the vicinity of forested streams, but tends to stay hidden, foraging on or near the ground. Uncommon.