Least Pygmy-Owl

A short-crested antshrike with a heavy bill and bold wing markings, found along coastal slope of northern Colombia and Venezuela. Male is mostly black with white flanks and wing and tail markings. Female is dull buff colored with a dusky spotted crown, dark wings with buffy markings, rufous tail, and a prominent buffy eyering. Locally common but hard to see in dense vine tangles in dry forest and shrubby areas. Territorial, mostly in pairs in the understory to mid-levels of the forest. Best found by voice, a nasal and harsh “kuarrrr!” repeated every two seconds. Similar to Black-crested Antshrike, but that species has a much more prominent crest, and the female has black wings and rufous crown.

Small flycatcher found in forest canopy. Confusingly similar to other tyrannulets, but note especially its stubby (not pointy) bill with a very pale base, which can be quite evident since you are often looking straight up at the bird. Voice is another good clue; it often gives sharp whistles, either alone or in a series. It also tends to be more sluggish, perches more vertically, and stays higher up in the trees than other similar tyrannulets. It has two separate populations, one in the Atlantic Forest region, and another along the east slope of the Andes in Argentina, Bolivia, and perhaps far southern Peru. Northward it is replaced by White-fronted Tyrannulet, which is now considered a separate species. The area of overlap is not well known. Rough-legged Tyrannulet is more uniformly colored, showing little or no gray in the crown.

A small, chunky, distinctive weaver of arid habitats in northeastern Africa. Boldly marked, with a black cap, a brown back, white underparts, and black sides. Also note the whitish bill and the red eye. Found in dry thorn savanna, usually in flocks. Nests in colonies. Sometimes found alongside Gray-headed Social-Weaver. Makes metallic squeaking calls, often given by a whole group in chorus.