Antioquia wren (Thryophilus sernai) - 21Aug2024

This Vulnerable (IUCN Status) wren is endemic to Colombia and was only described as a new species in 2010.  It inhabits a very small area within the Cauca River Canyon. 

Black-bellied Wren (Pheugopedius fasciatoventris) - 11Aug2024

The Black-bellied Wren is a very handsome wren of vine tangles in Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia.  My pictures suck as it never exposed itself fully, but I was happy to come away with anything at all.  These photos are from my second trip to Colombia. 

Thrush-like Wren (Campylorhynchus turdinus) - 10Aug2022

I don't really see the resemblance to a thrush myself.  This species of wren is a little different than most wrens in that it spends most of its time higher in the canopy instead of skulking in the undergrowth.  They range across the interior of South America and also have a disjunct population on the southeast coast of South America.  I had this one on the property of Pousada Aguape in the southern Pantanal in Brazil.

Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) - 09Aug2021 & 30Jan2014

The Cactus Wren is the largest wren of the United States and the state bird of Arizona.  It ranges from the US southwest to Mexico and is true to its name in its habits.

Yucatan Wren (Campylorhynchus yucatanicus) - 17Apr2019

Yucatan Wren is a Mexican endemic on the north coast of the Yucatan peninsula and currently has a Near Threatened status. Of the 15 species in this genus, this one is the most imperiled.  It is always special to find a bird on my own, without a guide as I did this one.  Mexico gets a bad rap as a dangerous place but when I took my family on a trip through the Yucatan we only encountered friendly people and beautiful places.

Band-backed Wren (Campylorhynchus zonatus) - 25Nov2016 & 09Aug2024

Previously my only picture of this species was when I first started birding while on a surfing trip to Costa Rica.  We stopped at Arenal Volcano NP for a couple days and I didn't know what I was looking at.  In fact, my picture still throws Merlin for a loop as it is a juvenile bird which looks different than the adult.  Since then I have seen the more typical adult in Colombia which is where my second shot is from.

Apolinar's Wren (Cistothorus apolinari) - 07Aug2024

Apolinar's Wren is a Colombian endemic with a status of Endangered.  It is restricted to a couple of small ranges in high elevation paramo and marshy habitats.  We had ours at Sumapaz NP in the Cundinamarca department.  It is in the same genus as Sedge, Marsh and Grass Wrens.

 

Grass Wren (Cistothorus platensis) - 17Aug2024

The Grass Wren used to be conspecific with Sedge Wren which superficially seems to make sense, but these birds inhabit totally different habitats.  I don't think you would ever see a Sedge Wren perching on a fence post... The Grass Wren inhabits high elevation grasslands from Central America all the way down to Patagonia including some lowland spots as it gets further south.   My photos are from Colombia.

Pacific Wren (Troglodytes pacificus) - 30May2021

The Eurasian Wren, Winter Wren and Pacific Wren were all once part of a species complex simply known as Winter Wren but they were split based on song differences as well as phylogenetic studies.  The Pacific Wren ranges from California up to Alaska mostly on the coast but does have some populations that range inland.   These photos are from Eugene, Oregon.

Mountain Wren (Troglodytes solstitialis) - 19Aug2024

This high elevation wren of South America stretches in range from Venezuela to Argentina in the Andes.  There are a few places where they have been trained to come in for treats like this one that has learned along with some other species (Pittas and Fruiteaters) that they can get a free meal if they pose on a well placed stick.  This was seen on my second trip to Colombia.

Southern House Wren (Troglodytes musculus) - 28Feb2022

Another recent split that benefited me was the split between Northern and Southern House Wren.  Who knows how many times it will be split again because there are currently 21 known sub-species.  I have seen House Wrens in many places but usually I don't bother taking pictures.  On my trip to Ushuaia in Argentina on the way to Antarctica, I noticed this one looked different from ours up north so I took a picture.  I am now glad I did!  The Southern House Wren covers basically the whole map of Central and South America.

White-browed Gnatcatcher (Polioptila bilineata) - 13Apr2019

This species was previously considered a sub-species of Tropical Gnatcatcher but was split out recently based on morphology and genetic studies. They are found throughout much of Central America and along the northwest of South America including Colombia where I saw this one.

Masked Gnatcatcher (Polioptila dumicola) - 22Aug2022

This is one of the 18 species of Gnatcatcher in the Western Hemisphere.  The Masked Gnatcatcher inhabits the middle area of South America including the Pantanal in Brazil which is where I saw this one, a displaying male.

Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) - 19Jul2017

There are 29 species of Nuthatch and I have only seen a handful so I have some work to do.  This one was hanging out behind our AirB&B in Bergen, Norway. This species has a massive range across the Palearctic so I should be able to get a better pic soon!

 

Common Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla) - 13Feb2025

This tiny member of the Kinglet family has a wide range across Europe and northern Africa with some populations being partially migratory and others being happy to stay as a year round resident. I have seen them in a couple European countries but was lacking a decent photo until my recent trip to Cannes in France.

Sardinian Warbler (Curruca melanocephala) - 10Feb2025

This is a good looking warbler from the Mediterranean region with some being migratory and others representing resident populations such as the ones I saw in the south of France in the winter.   I believe that I also saw them long ago in Portugal, but now I have pics! The name is a misnomer because they are found in a huge range way outside of Sardinia.  I suppose it is similar to some of our warblers in that respect, like Kentucky and Tennessee and Cape May which may or may not ever see those places depending on the bird.

Cetti's Warbler (Cettia cetti) - 10Feb2025

Cetti's Warbler is a small skulker that is very difficult to get eyes on despite it being quite loud and common in city parks with some reed habitat.   It breeds in central and southern Europe, northwest Africa and the east Palearctic.  I have seen and heard them in a couple places in Europe but finally got some marginal photographs in the south of France in the Camargue. It reminds me of the Marsh Wren in its appearance and habits.

Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) - 23Mar2023

This migratory warbler inhabits much of Europe, Asia and north Africa at various times during the year.  They look a lot like Willow and Wood Warblers so you need to be vigilant where the ranges overlap.  Although they have several field marks available to more advanced birders including primary projection, the easy tell is the tail wag they have.  Here is a excerpt from Wiki: "The common chiffchaff also has rounded wings in flight, and a diagnostic tail movement consisting of a dip, then sidewards wag, that distinguishes it from other Phylloscopus warblers".

The below photo is from London, England but I have seen them in the south of France.  The other way to be sure is to see them in the winter in England because the Willows and Woods are not there until the spring but the Chiffchaffs do winter in small numbers.  The name Chiffchaff is onomatopoetic, meaning it is based on the call notes.

Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) - 01Mar2022

This is a tropical bird of south Asia but it has been introduced in various places in the United States including Florida and California and I have seen them in both those states.  My picture below is from Florida.  They may seem innocuous but they have been a major problem in that they eat the seeds of exotic plants and then spread them all over when they poop.  They are a major reason why Brazilian Pepper and Loquats are popping up all over south Florida.

Eurasian Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris) - 15Feb2025

The Eurasian Crag Martin has a large range across Eurasia and north Africa and can be easily confused with other Crag Martin species in some of its range, but luckily for me in the south of France it is the only candidate.  The resident birds breed in the mountains of southern Europe but some of the Asian and African birds are migratory.  Melissa and I had them in a couple spots on the coast near Cannes but also on a hike up a coastal mountain.

Brown-bellied Swallow (Orochelidon murina) - 17Aug2024

This little stinker gave me a really hard time on my second trip to Colombia.  It was ever present at high elevations but very difficult to photograph until we found some roosting under the eaves in our hotel at Termales del Ruiz.  They can be found at higher elevations in the Andes from Venezuela down to Bolivia. 

Blue-and-white Swallow (Pygochelidon cyanoleuca) - 11Aug2024

The Blue-and-white Swallow is a migratory swallow in Central and South America that has a massive range basically covering the whole of South America up to Nicaragua.  We were seeing them often on my last trip to Colombia but it was not until we found some that were sitting on wires that I was able to get some pictures. Actually they came in close because one of their young had fallen out of the nest in the rafters of a barn and the parents were watching closely.   The first photo is the chick and the second the parent.

Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) - 29-31May2021

Ahhh, the subject of Swallowgate in North Carolina!  If you don't know what I mean, check out this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emb4OOZFAWs

Violet-green Swallows normally live from the northern reaches of Alaska during breeding season all the way down to Central America in winter. They only extend as far east as Texas. Regardless of the Swallowgate incident, we did have one later in North Carolina and I suspect we will have more.  They can be challenging to ID on the wing due to similarities with Tree Swallows, but if you get one up close in good light they are easy to ID.  The following photos are all from Eugene Oregon and also on the coast in Oregon.

Black-capped Donacobius (Donacobius atricapilla) - 13Aug2022

Not only is this bird the only one in its genus, but it is also the only one in its family (one step up from genus).  So clearly this bird evolved on its own for a long time.  It inhabits the northern half of South America mostly in wetlands including the Amazon and Pantanal.  I saw mine on the river systems in the Pantanal.

Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) - 06Nov2014

This old world warbler has a massive range across Eurasia, Africa, south Asia and even down to northern Australia.  It is a bird of grasslands but can be found in agricultural areas or even in marginal habitat like this one just outside of Lisbon in Portugal.  The name is supposed to be onomatopoetic, meaning the sound sounds like zit repeated over and over.  I found this just when I started birding on a work trip.

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata) - 10Feb2025

Much like our Horned Larks at home, these birds will rise up into the air and sing when roused from the fields they are feeding in.  Unlike the Eurasian Skylark, they do not sing while ascending but once they have reached their desired altitude.  This one was flying overhead in the Camargue in southern France.  They are non-migratory in their huge range across Eurasia, North Africa and the Middle East.

Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis) - 05Nov2023

The Europeans loved the Eurasian Skylark so much they introduced it to New Zealand, Australia, Vancouver Island in Canada and Hawaii.  This normally migratory bird has a massive natural range across all of Eurasia and some of north Africa but also has some locations where they are year round residents like Belgium where I saw these.  The song is beautiful but unfortunately I am mostly restricted to hearing it played from an App because of my high pitch hearing loss.

Juniper Titmouse (Baeolophus ridgwayi) - 23&28Dec2022

The Oak and Juniper Titmouse used to be one species - the Plain Titmouse.  That seems very confusing as neither live on the plains.  Maybe it should have been Ordinary Titmouse or Unremarkable Titmouse?  The Juniper half of the split falls mostly east of the Rockies but there is a small overlap in California.  They do have different songs and calls though.  The ones I photographed in Arizona on the south rim of the Grand Canyon and later on the north side were most certainly Juniper Titmice.  They are not endemic to the US because they do cross over into Sonora Mexico. 

Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus) - 09Apr2023

Somehow I only have one picture of this species from one of my trips to California.  They inhabit oak forests on the Pacific slope from southern Oregon down to Baja California. This picture is from San Ramon east San Francisco.  I am sure I have seen them before, but this was the first time I got up close and personal with one. They kind of look like Tufted Titmice with pigment issues.

Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus) - 13Jun2023

The Boreal Chickadee was a bird that had long been on my target list because when I travel for birds it is normally in warmer climates. So my cold location target birds tend to get neglected.  The Boreal Chickadee inhabits the fir and spruce forests of the far north in Canada, Alaska and only the northern most United States. I was able to finally remedy this situation when visiting Nova Scotia with the family for a hiking and sight-seeing trip.  They typically don't overlap much with Black-capped Chickadees as they tend to stay in the evergreen forests, but in some places like Nova Scotia they can both be found in the same habitats.