ML232847261

Media notes

Bird A: A softer, more variable and more continuous song. Bird B is obfuscating bird A at intervals with the typical loud and explosive phrases for the warszewiczi subspecies.

Observation details

One bird (A) was singing from a somewhat hidden branch in a small tree. It was all black and its tail was heavily molting, giving it a tail-less look. Its bill was big and pointy, like a Scrub Blackbird, but the song did not correspond to the typical one of the warszewiczi subspecies that is normally heard in Lima, with short explosive phrases. Its song was missing the high squeaky quality of Shiny Cowbird, nor did it resemble the begging calls of Scrub Blackbird fledglings. The latter was singing almost incessantly, clearly audible, but not extremely loud. In a nearby tree, there was another Scrub Blackbird (B), which was singing as usual, much louder than bird A. On the first recording, only bird B is heard. On the other three recordings, bird A is singing almost throughout, but its songs is obfuscated when bird B interrupts. Alfredo Begazo made the following remark about this song: "Este es el canto del Tordo de Matorral cuando se congregan. Este canto es más variado que el de otras horas del día y generalmente lo dan antes de anochecer (en dormideros), o a veces como descansando en la tarde. El común denominador parece ser el estar más relajados entre varios individuos en el mismo árbol. En tu grabación se escucha más de uno. El canto en estas circunstancias es más variado que lo que normalmente se escucha durante la mayor parte del día. Es decir, durante el día son cantos más cortos, cuando la pareja se re-encuentra o interactúa. Estos cantos se dan mayormente apuntando el pico al cielo haciendo como planchas (push-ups)."

Additional species

• Scrub Blackbird Dives warczewiczi