Grallaria flavotincta

Antpittas are a notoriously sneaky bunch of creatures. According to the Hilty and Brown’s Guide to the Birds of Colombia they are, “as a group, the most difficult to observe and among the least known of all South American birds,” and all Cornell’s Neotropical Birds website has to say about this species is that “almost nothing is known concerning its life history.” That’s because they spend their lives in tropical undergrowth sneaking about in the shadows. It is possible to be within a few feet of a singing antpitta and still not be able to see it. A friend once informed me “don’t bother looking for antipittas, because they’re actually just a myth and no one has ever seen one.” This is actually pretty good advice.

However, I sometimes get lucky with sneaky creatures hiding in the underbrush. While hiking in the Mesenia Paramillo Reserve in southeastern Antioquia, this little guy hopped out into the open and called for about two minutes. What you hear in the video is not the bird’s typical three-noted song, but some kind of alarm call. I was just about close enough to grab him while I took this video. I’m not sure what spurred the bird’s uncharacteristically brazen bahvaior, but I feel very privileged to have gotten this peek at such a seldom seen creature. It’s an especially interesting sighting, since I was not on the Pacific slope of the Andes and so was outside of the recognized range of this species.

I will be out working in Antioquia for the time being. Here is a cock-of-the-rock photo taken on my last foray to South America. I am looking forward to returning to the land of tanagers and birds with ant in their name.

Oreothlypis superciliosa

An inhabitant of humid higher-elevation forest, the Crescent-chested Warblers is one of the most common member of mixed feeding flocks during the winter, although pairs defend a single territory during the breeding season. This bird is closely associated with oaks, and is found in pine-oak forests from northern Mexico to Central America.  This bird is very similar in appearance to the Northern and Tropical Parula, but they are identifiable by their distinct white eyebrow.

Spizella wortheni

In a birding guide to Veracruz, I came across the casual mention of a bird called the Worthen’s Sparrow.  The guide said that Worthen’s Sparrows were known to have been seen in the far eastern edge of Veracruz in an area called Perote.  This part of Veracruz features a succession of increasingly arid habitats as it nears the state of Puebla – prairie, scrub, mal pais, and eventually desert.

I had never heard of this bird before, but I attributed it to the fact that I’m a terrible birder who doesn’t even own a field guide.  I wanted to see a Worthen’s Sparrow, since I have never seen one, but I didn’t think too hard about it.  That is, until we discovered this is actually one of the rarest bird species in North America.  They once ranged from New Mexico to Veracruz, but is now restricted three tiny groups in north-eastern Mexico. They seem to be tied to a very specific soil type and the vegetation that goes with it.  The total population of this species is estimated to be no more than 500 individuals, and is likely closer to about 200. They as scarce as the far more iconic Whooping Crane or California Condors.

Why has nobody heard of this bird, then?  I suppose because it’s ugly, and it’s in Mexico.  Although, rare, ugly, and in Mexico is about all it takes for ME to become very excited.  I have spent some time trying to find the probably extirpated Worthen’s Sparrows of Veracruz, but have turned up nothing.  I want another chance to look. Chances are there is no habitat in Veracruz that can really support their needs, but something seems romantic to me to be the champion of an ugly bird in an ugly habitat, and another reservoir of genetic diversity would be invaluable to a minute population of slowly dwindling birds.

Basileuterus culicivorus

The Golden-Crowned Warbler is a common ground-dwelling warbler with a substantial distribution ranging from Northern Mexico to Argentina. They occupy a broad swath of mid-to-low elevation humid and semi-humid forested areas, and due to this large but not entirely contiguous range there is a substantial amount of geographic variation within the species. The variation is visually noticeable in varying degrees of thickness and brightness in the head patterning between populations, but there is also an observable difference in song.

Typical Adult

Geothlypis poliocephala

The Gray-crowned Yellowthroat is relatively common throughout lowland Mexico and Central America. More of a generalist than other members of its genus, the Gray-crowned Yellowthroat inhabits a wide-range of open and semi-open habitats including grassland, scrub, and cultivated areas. It is one of the few warbler species commonly sighted in cane fields. Compared with other members of Geothlypis it is also notably larger and and stocky and possesses a significantly thicker bill. Adult males have a comparatively small face-mask, a gray head, and a partial eye-ring, although not all individuals distinctly display this trait.

Adult Male

Most people who know me are aware of my fascination with parasites, and I know I’m not the only one. When I worked as an interpreter at the Bell Museum of Natural History in Minnesota, I found the best way to win the attention of a group of unruly kids was to show them something they all thought was disgusting. My calm command over the live snakes, spiders, scorpions and giant cockroaches invariably earned me the stunned respect of the students. Children love what is weird and creepy. They love what scares them. Adults might act more dignified, but they are no different. That’s why I know that secretly you want to hear about my botfly, Dave.