Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Ecuador, March 2011

Bird name: Plain Colored Seedeater
Latin: Catamenia inornata
Other: Plain-coloured Seedeater (UK) • Semillero sencillo (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers, Seedeaters
Range: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina
Similar: Catamenia seedeaters

I saw these Plain-colored Seedeaters at around 3000 metres altitude in Ecuador.

The male (above) Plain-colored Seedeater is greyish with orange bill and rufous crissum (under base of tail). The female (below) is streaked and brownish.More photos...

Copyright: DK/monacoeye • Chile • April 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Andean Coot
Latin: Fulica ardesiaca
Other: Focha andina
Family: Rallidae • Rails, Coots
Range: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina
Similar:

Many thanks to Dirk for sending in this nice photo of an Andean Coot at the Salar de Atacama, Chile.

Bill and frontal shield can vary in colour from yellow and red to white. See below for paler variants.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Yanacocha, Ecuador • Mar 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Red Crested Cotinga
Latin: Ampelion rubrocristatus
Other:
Family: Cotingidae • Cotingas
Range: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia
Similar:

I saw these two Red-crested Cotingas on shrubs beside the road up to Yanacocha, at about 3000m altitude. They tend be found at this kind of altitude in the Andes.

The Red-crested Cotinga is easy to identify - a grey, pigeon-sized bird, with long, lank, rufous feathers at back of head, and bright red irises. The red crest is often not visible though when the bird is viewed from the front. One was eating a winged insect.


More photos...