Purple Needletail

Large rufous-brown babbler with a long tail and white eyes. Pale gray forehead evident if seen well. Not as bold and pugnacious as some of its close relatives; typically forages in dense undergrowth in foothill forest and forest edge, often in wetter areas than Jungle, Common, and Large Gray Babblers. Gives distinctive rising rattle-whistles: “trriIIII! trriiiIII!”

Small, mouse-like bird found in the high Andes of southern Ecuador and northern Peru. Male is mostly dark gray; female has brown upperparts and gray underparts. Both sexes have very faint barring on lower underparts and a few white feathers on the shoulder. The latter feature is shared by no other tapaculo in range, but can be quite inconspicuous in the field, so voice is usually the best way to confirm the ID. Typical song is a long, rattling trill lasting ten seconds or more; also gives short bursts repeated every few seconds. Inhabits high elevation forest and scrub near and above tree line. Usually stays low and can be hard to see. Formerly considered a subspecies of Paramo Tapaculo.

Medium-sized rosefinch of semi-open and brushy habitats. Male is beautiful, with a streaked rich brown back and lilac-pink cheeks, brow stripe, and underparts; note namesake bright white patch at the rear of the brow stripe. Female is streaky brown above and streaky off-white below, with a rusty breast patch. Very similar to Chinese White-browed Rosefinch, but range overlap is minimal; see that species’ account. Often gives a hoarse and nasal series of ascending notes: “beet-beet-beET-bEEt-bEEt!”