Black-billed Peppershrike Cyclarhis nigrirostris Scientific name definitions

The Black-billed Peppershrike is a distinctive songbird of northwestern South America.  Found in the subtropical zone on Andean slopes between 1300 and 2700 meters in elevation, this peppershrike inhabits canopy of humid forest in its range in Colombia and Ecuador.  It is somewhat similar in appearance to the more widely distributed Rufous-browed Peppershrike, olive above with deep rufous lores and superciliary, whitish underparts with olive flanks, yellow-green irides, and a black bill.  As it remains hidden in the canopy of the forest, the best way to detect the Black-billed Peppershrike is by listening for the song, a rich warbling song composed of short, separated phrases.

15–16·5 cm; 29·6–33·1 g. Nominate race has forecrown dull grey, upper lores and area above bill and above and behind eye dark chestnut, ear-coverts yellow-green; hindcrown and upperparts dull olive-green; primaries and secondaries dull greyish with olive-green on outer webs (giving olive-green appearance to closed wing), tail dull dark olivaceous; chin and throat grey; sides of chest yellowish (forming thin yellowish chestband), lower chest and belly off-white, thighs grey with faint yellow tinge; iris yellowish or greenish-grey; bill blackish-grey with paler base of lower mandible; legs grey or blue-grey. Sexes alike. Juvenile undescribed. Race atrirostris is more grey, less white, on underparts than nominate.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Humid and wet forest, including cloudforest and forest edge; 1600–2700 m, usually below 2400 m. Absent from clearings and shrubby areas.

Apparently sedentary.

Food apparently consists mainly or wholly of arthropods, although no specific data available. Forages in foliage and outer branches of trees, from canopy down to middle levels; moves deliberately along twigs, seizing prey. Found singly or in pairs; frequently joins mixed-species flocks.

Persistent singer. Song, usually from concealed perch in canopy, a series of loud whistles, similar to that of C. gujanensis but usually richer and more melodious, sometimes transcribed as "come right here right now" (with emphasis on penultimate word); very similar to song of Slate-coloured Grosbeak (Saltator grossus).

Birds in breeding condition in May–Jul and also in Oct in Colombian Andes. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Considered to be generally uncommon over much of its relatively limited range. S boundaries of range in Ecuador remain uncertain: nominate race recorded S to C Napo, but reports from farther S require corroboration owing to possible confusion with C. gujanensis (of race contrerasi); race atrirostris known to occur S to Pichincha, and observed at least once in far S (in El Oro), but no records reported from intervening area. This species is much less tolerant of habitat modification than C. gujanensis and is absent from disturbed habitats.