Fairy Martin

A fairly large bird of lowland and foothill forest. Small for a hornbill. Bill fairly short with black bands, and with bare skin around the eyes and chin. Male has pale underparts and head with a black cheek, a pale buffy tail with a black tip, and pale blue facial skin. Female is entirely black with a buffy band through the center of the tail and darker blue facial skin. Rufous Hornbill occurs in some of the same areas, but has a red bill. Samar Hornbill’s voice is a short, medium-pitched honk, reminiscent of a squeaky toy, often given in rapid series.

This common Eurasian species is a close relative of the House Sparrow. Slightly smaller than House Sparrow with entirely rufous cap, black and white cheek, and limited black in the throat. Males and females are similar. Typically found in noisy small flocks, often in more natural areas than concrete-loving House Sparrow; calls are often higher-pitched than those of House Sparrow, and has a slightly slower chatter. Feeds on seeds. Introduced to a small region in the central U.S. and southeast Australia.

Rare finch restricted to arid lowlands and foothills of western Ecuador and far northwestern Peru. Plumage is golden with black wings marked with yellow stripes; male has a dark hood. May overlap with the very similar Hooded Siskin in the foothills of the Andes, and birds seen in this region are not always identifiable. Saffron Siskin is slightly brighter on average, and male’s back is cleaner, lacking dusky markings. Usually seen in small flocks that feed mainly on seeds in trees, bushes, and tall grass.