Watching Wildlife

The booted racket-tail (Ocreatus underwoodii) is a species of hummingbird. It is found in the Andean cordillera of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. A population also occurs on the Venezuelan coast. This is the only species in the monotypic genus Ocreatus.

Silent bird that lives in low strata of humid forests. Its name Malacoptila means soft plumage and derives from the Greek roots malakos = soft and ptilon = plumage. His epithet mystacalis means mustache and comes from the Greek mustax, mustakos.

Of the Puffbirds it is one of the most conspicuous and active species. Currently the taxonomic status of its subspecies is under discussion. Its name Hypnelus derives from the Greek hupnelos = sleepy and the epithet ruficollis means reddish neck and derives from the Latin rufus = reddish and collis = neck.

Previously classified in the genus Piculus, this species is quite polytypic and in Colombia there are at least 4 races. Its name Colaptes derives from the Greek kolaptes = pecker, chiseller. The epithet rubiginosus derives from Latin and means reddish.

The cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard two of its subspecies as full species, the western cattle egret and the eastern cattle egret.

The Gray-headed Tanager (Eucometis penicillata) is a species of passerine bird in the Thraupidae family, the only one in the monotypic genus Eucometis. It is native to tropical America (Neotropics), widely distributed from southern Mexico to Paraguay.

This species is found in the Andes with a very localized distribution. Its name Chlorophonia comes from the Greek roots khloros = green and euphonia = euphony or excellence of tone. Its epithet pyrrhophrys comes from the Greek roots purrhos = flame color or red and ophrus = eyebrow.

The sunbittern a bittern-like bird of tropical regions of the Americas, and the sole member of the family Eurypygidae (sometimes spelled Eurypigidae) and genus Eurypyga. It is found in Central and South America, and has three subspecies. The sunbittern shows both morphological and molecular similarities with the kagu (Rhynochetos jubatus) of New Caledonia, indicating a gondwanic origin, both species being placed in the cladeEurypygiformes.

Populations of this species are found mainly in Colombia and a small portion of northwestern Venezuela. Its name Thamnophilus comes from the Greek roots thamnos = bush and philos = lover of. The epithet multistriatus comes from the Latin roots multi = much and striatus = striated.