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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

ID for 3 Colombian birds (1 Viewer)

Dave B Smith

Well-known member
The attached photos are of 3 birds, all taken in Bogota, Colombia (elevation about 2,600 M).
The small Black Bird was a frequent garden visitor. They were very territorial. In fact, one morning I witnesed two fighting in the tree out of my upstairs window. They had grabbed one anothers leg in their beak and neither would let go. They both finally fell from the tree locked together. I went outside, picked them up and at that point they decided better to leave each other go and get away from me.

The second is a dove that was very common there also.

The last bird was one that I only saw once in all the time I was in Bogota.

I'd appreciate any help on the ID.
Thanks,
 

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Hi Dave,

I would say the small black bird is a Black Flower-piercer, based on the small shoulder patch.

I'm not sure on the dove, but it might be a Ground-Dove.

The 3rd bird looks to be a Red-eyed Vireo.

Hope this helps,
Michael
 
Michael,
Thanks. I think you are correct on both. Using your suggestions, I went to google and found good photos of each and then a web guide to the birds of Bogota and found them there also. I was going to suggest in my first post that the black bird had a bill similar to a flower-piercer. Now I know why :cool:. And the reason that I didn't see the Red-eyed Vireo often, seems it is just a migrant that only passes through in October.

While I was at the web document on birds of Bogota, I looked under Doves and found the most common was the Eared Dove., Zenaida auriculata.
If you click on that link you'll see that it is almost a perfect match, so I think I now have that one also.

Thanks again,
 
Charles,
Your guess of a Ruddy Ground-Dove wouldn't have been far off based on coloration. Only things that really distinguish it are size (which I saw but you can't), the two black facial marks (ears?) and the Ruddy has a red eye.
The one thing I could never find while in Colombia was a good field guide for Colombian birds. I used a world guide and my Costa Rica guide and that was it. In retrospect this was a huge deficiency. I probably saw at least a hundred birds that I never identified. These above were recently "rediscovered" as I was looking through some old photos and came across them. I also found a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Southern Lapwing in the group.
Thanks
 
Charles Harper said:
.. guess Cuckooroller's out of a job.

Glad you got back in with the Eared Dove, Dave. I was going to suggest Ruddy GD. Don't have a SA book.

Been busy lately and the Tower in the shop. No reason to comment when the identifications have already been eviscerated.

The dove is obviously from genus Zenaida. The only two that it could have been are aurita and auriculata. Z. aurita doesn't range in Colombia and besides has some distinguishers. The dove is Zenaida auriculata rubripes.

Will have to take a look at the ranges for the Diglossa.

Yes, it looks good for the nominates subspecies D. h. humeralis (Black Flowerpiercer).

As regards the Vireo, it is, indeed, Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus). Impossible to determine without doing biometrics which subspecies. The nominate olivaceus ranges in Canada, WC and E USA and winters throughout S. America. The other possible subspecies, which ranges throughout Colombia, is V. o. vividior.
 
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