Black-capped Siskin

Small becard occurring from southwest Colombia to northwest Peru, mainly on the west slope of the Andes and in the Marañon drainage, but (perhaps seasonally?) on the east slope of the Andes as well. Mostly found in foothills, in middle to upper levels of humid montane forest, dry forest, and more open second-growth. Male is mostly gray with bold white edges on the wing feathers and a black cap with pale spectacles. Compare with White-winged Becard, which has a black back and dark lores. Female is very different; look for her brown cap bordered with black, white spectacles, pale yellowish belly, and tawny edges on wing feathers. Extremely similar to Black-and-white Becard, with potential range overlap on the east slope of the Andes in Ecuador and Peru. Male Cryptic shows a narrower upper wingbar, paler lores, a grayer upperside of the tail, and a more slender bill than Black-and-white. Female Cryptic has a duller brownish crown with a narrower black border. These features may all be difficult or impossible to assess in the field; some birds are best left unidentified. Also note voice: song a fast series of two sweet downslurred whistles followed by a stuttered upslurred whistle, often repeated two or three times. Black-and-white’s song is slower, with longer notes.

A big-headed but overall medium-sized forest eagle that eats primarily snakes. Can be found at all heights, from the canopy down to near the ground. The long banded tail, brown back with a rufous hind-collar, white breast, and barred flanks make this species unique within its range. Western birds have white throats, while eastern birds have black-spotted throats. Frequently heard calling in the forest, uttering a long series of “HOW, how, HOW, how” caws that are reminiscent of a hornbill. Throughout range, co-occurs with the similar-looking Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, but Congo Serpent-Eagle is smaller, has a black line down the center of the throat, and appears bigger-headed.

Highly gregarious small parakeet with a long, pointed tail. Has a chestnut face, a dark cap, a grayish scalloped breast, and a large red patch on the belly. Inhabits a handful of high-elevation forests across a very restricted range that it shares with few similar species.