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Russet-winged Schiffornis | Schiffornis stenorhyncha
Roestvleugelschiffornis | Schiffornis alirrufo
The Russet-winged Schiffornis is a plain brown bird of the understorey of humid lowland forest. It closely resembles the Northern Schiffornis and was formerly included with it and several South American forms in a single species. In the guide area it lives only in central and eastern Panama.
Voice
A clear, whistled phrase of a few notes, comparable to that of the Northern Schiffornis but somewhat different in rhythm and structure; often repeated from the understorey.
Recording: Jerome Fischer — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · converted to mono · xeno-canto
Identification
16 cm. Upperparts olive-brown, wings and tail warmer russet-brown; underparts slightly paler and greyer brown. Large dark eye in a rounded head, often with a narrow pale eye-ring, and a rather short, dark bill. Male and female are alike.
Confusion species
Northern Schiffornis Schiffornis veraepacis is barely distinguishable in the field; both occur in Panama, and range, altitude and song are the best clues. Female manakins are smaller and greener. Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Mionectes oleagineus is smaller, with an ochre belly.
Habitat
Understorey of humid lowland forest and tall secondary forest, mainly at lower elevations. It eats insects and small fruit. It often sits still for long periods on a low branch or vine.
Where the bird is most at home, classified by the vegetation units of Mexico and Central America.
Range and movements
Central and eastern Panama to Darién. Outside the guide area in northern Colombia and north-western Venezuela.
- Resident
- dark = core range, pale = thinly spread
How and when to look
A whistled phrase from the understorey of lowland forest in central or eastern Panama may belong to this species. A sound recording helps to separate it from the Northern Schiffornis.
Conservation status
Not threatened. Locally fairly common in Panama, but inconspicuous and therefore seldom noticed.
Scientific name
Schiffornis stenorhyncha | (Sclater & Salvin, 1869) (GBIF: Schiffornis turdina)
Sclater & Salvin described the species in 1869 as Heteropelma stenorhynchum; because it was later moved to another genus, the author and year stand in brackets. The genus Schiffornis was introduced in 1854 by Bonaparte. Schiffornis honours the German physiologist and zoologist Moritz Schiff (1823–1896), with Greek ornis 'bird'. stenorhyncha is Greek, from stenos 'narrow' and rhunkhos 'bill': 'narrow-billed'. The specimen the first description was based on came from San Esteban, Carabobo, Venezuela.