La Joya II

We also visited the cultivated fields in search for Tawny-throated Dotterel and Least Seedsnipe. Luckily we found a group of Dotterels.

 Cultivated fields at the desert plain and the vulcan Misti in the distance.

 Dark-faced Ground-Tyrant, an Austral migrant present in good numbers.

 Tawny-throated Dotterel

Las Salinas, Arequipa 21.08

Here are some pictures from the area above Chiguata and Las Salinas. The best observation this day was not a bird but the Andean Fox that crossed the raod at 4100 m.

Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant and Lesser Shrike-Tyrant

Here is a Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant and a still not identified flycatcher from Sucre, Bolivia. The unidentified flycatcher behaved like a Ground-Tyrant, but what confuses me is the amount of white on the wings. The wing projection is also to short for most of the Ground-Tyrants. Any suggestions? The birds perched on the fence at the airport at 2870 m.
Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant
Several persons have indicated that this is a Lesser Shrike-Tyrant. This is my third observation of this bird in Sucre, and the first I have photographed. It means that I have seen this species earlier in the same general area four years ago, but I still didn't manage to recognize it. I guess that the small size confused me.

Lesser (Mouse-brown) Shrike-Tyrant

Ground-Tyrants (again)

Last year I posted several times pictures of Ground-Tyrants. They are not always easy to indentify. Here I post pictures of two species from Moho at the shores of Lake Titicaca. It makes it easy to compare these two species. The pictures are taken 1-3.09.08

Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant
White-browed Ground-Tyrant
Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant
White-browed Ground-Tyrant

Chiguata 17.06.08

Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant

Well, let's just call it Dark-winged Canastero.
Slender-billed Miner

Ground-Tyrant 6

Ochre-naped Ground-Tyrant

The bird was seen at a bog at 4500 m, and showed well the yellowish nape pach. Although the bird was large it had a slim body. Photos Arequipa - Juliaca road 20.09.07 (also the two next posts).

Ground-Tyrant 5

Several large Ground-Tyrants were seen along a stream at 4400 m. I believe all of them were White-winged Ground Tyrants. The two first pictures shoves adult birds whit some rufous on the crown. The birds have a grayish-brown back and a more bulky body than the Ochre-naped Ground-Tyrant.

Ground-Tyrants 4

Plain-capped Ground-Tyrant photographed at 4100 m. The bird has no spot at lower mandible, and also a bluish-grey back and off-white underparts. The bird also presents a brow that reaches behind the eye (that distinguishes it from Cinereous Ground-Tyrant). I had no possibility to compare with other birds, but it looked somewhat large. Not also the color at the crown (difficult to see because of quality reduction).

Ground-Tyrant 3

I think that this is White-browed Ground-Tyrant, but I am not sure if it is possible to rule out Puna Ground-Tyrant. Does anyone have any suggestions? The pictures are from Chiguata at 3000 m 31.07.07. Altitude, location (farmland) and supercilium (behind eye) indicates White-browed Ground-Tyrant.

Ground-Tyrant 2

Both pictures shove Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant of the occipitalis subspecies (Chiguata 31.08.07).

Ground-Tyrant 1

Ground-Tyrants are not easy
to identify. This is a Spot-billed
Ground-Tyrant. At the picture
you can see the yellow spot at
the base of lower mandible.
The best way (and only reliable?)
to seperate this species from
Cinereous Ground-Tyrant is to observe this spot.


Spot-billed Groud-Tyrant
from behind. All pictures
from Chiguata 31.08.07.



Last picture: Here you can also see the short white supraloral. The yellow spot at lower mandible is dificult to see at this picture.