Birdsong field guide
Black-faced Solitaire
Myadestes melanops
A medium-sized montane thrush of Central America, renowned for its ethereal, flute-like song and distinctive black facial mask.
What it sounds like
A haunting and metallic sequence of liquid, flute-like whistles and ethereal, ringing notes.
Field notes
- It possesses a striking orange-yellow bill and legs that contrast sharply with its uniform slaty-gray plumage.
- The species is primarily frugivorous, specializing in berries and mistletoe fruits found in the forest canopy.
- It performs seasonal altitudinal migration, descending to lower elevations during the height of the rainy season.
- Its song has a ventriloquial quality, often making the bird sound further away or in a different direction than its actual perch.
- Nests are typically mossy cups concealed in crevices, on embankments, or nestled among epiphytic plants on tree trunks.
Habitat
Humid montane cloud forests and dense evergreen highland forests.
Range
Highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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