Kafa White-eye

Small hummingbird with a long white-tipped tail. Its rufous underparts, green back, and striped face are features typical of many hermits, but the dark throat and white vent help separate it from other similar species. Inhabits rainforest understory in lowlands east of the Andes and in adjacent foothills. It is difficult to see well as it zips between flowers in the gloom. Sometimes gives a high-pitched, squeaky song from a low perch.

A skulky, dull brown warbler with a long and graduated tail, a pale grayish eyebrow, and a throat that is lightly streaked. It creeps around mouse-like in thick undergrowth and tangles in forest and forest edge. It is also found in isolated pockets of scrub, often adjacent to streams, and is frequently detected and identified by its song, mostly delivered between September and December: 2-3 sweet “tsiit” notes followed by a loud trill of 15-20 harsh “tchui” notes. It also has a strident chipping alarm call “tddd-ddr-ddr-ddr-ddr-tt.” The similar Knysna Warbler differs from Barratt’s Warbler by its shorter tail, darker underparts, less pronounced throat streaking, and different song.

Combination of strongly scaled breast, rufous tail, and round-headed appearance distinguish this species from others in its range. Small and skulky, sticking to dense shrubbery and shorter trees in its forest breeding grounds, where it favors dense, moist growth in lowland broadleaf forests. Often bolder on migration, emerging into forest edges and gardens. Song is distinctive, a long, wet-sounding descending trill.