Speckled Mourner
Laniocera rufescens
The Speckled Mourner (Laniocera rufescens) is a rare tityras, becards, and alli found in 8 countries, weighing about 48 g. The speckled mourner is a species of bird in the family Tityridae.
About the Speckled Mourner
The speckled mourner is a species of bird in the family Tityridae. It is found in Mexico, in every Central American country except El Salvador, and in Colombia and Ecuador.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The speckled mourner is 19 to 21.5 cm (7.5 to 8.5 in) long and weighs 38.6 to 56 g (1.4 to 2.0 oz). The sexes have almost the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a thin orange ring around the eye. The rest of their head, upperparts, wings, and tail are mostly rufous-brown. Their wing coverts are dusky with large rufous spots on the tips that form two or three faint wing bars. Their throat and underparts are mostly a paler cinnamon-brown than their upperparts. Their breast usually has thin dusky scallops. Voice: Male speckled mourners "tirelessly repeat a ringing and ventriloquial tleeyr, tlee-yeeí, tlee-yeeí, tlee-yeeí...". It repeats up to 15 times, pauses, and then starts again. The species also makes a "plaintive, drawn-out, slightly mewing peeeeeeeu with abrupt end".
What the Speckled Mourner sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in March. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Speckled Mourner?
- The speckled mourner is 19 to 21.5 cm (7.5 to 8.5 in) long and weighs 38.6 to 56 g (1.4 to 2.0 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Speckled Mourner?
- The Speckled Mourner is a small sized bird weighing about 48 g.
- Where can you see a Speckled Mourner?
- The Speckled Mourner occurs in 8 countries, including Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Colombia and Belize.
- What does a Speckled Mourner sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Speckled Mourner on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Speckled Mourner?
- The Speckled Mourner is most easily confused with the Cinereous Mourner.
- Is the Speckled Mourner endangered?
- The Speckled Mourner is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Speckled Mourner for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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