Rufous-throated Dipper

Drab olive overall with white eyering, bold wingbars, and thick bill. Found in forested areas with a mix of oak and conifers, usually foraging in the middle levels. Often in mixed flocks with other small songbirds. Resident along the Pacific coast from British Columbia to northern Baja and in interior mountains from Arizona and Texas to Guatemala. Remarkably similar to Ruby-crowned Kinglet, but thicker-billed and more sluggish; also note bluish legs. Also compare with Dwarf Vireo in Mexico. Listen for distinctive repetitive song of clear or buzzy notes.

A small dark blue-black swallow with rufous-chestnut on its face and a short tail. Except for a black triangular eye-stripe extending to the bill, the entire forehead, chin, throat, and upper breast are rufous-chestnut, without any dark necklace like that of Barn Swallow, the main confusion species. Hill Swallow’s dark upperparts have a blue-green sheen that is only visible when seen up close, while the underparts are dingy white with ashy-gray on the flanks. Juveniles have duller chestnut on the face. Mainly inhabits open areas such as grasslands, reservoirs, and tea estates in the high hills above 500 meters of elevation; very rare at lower elevations. Often seen wheeling and looping in the air after insects, with a swift flight action reminiscent of a Barn Swallow with a shorter tail.

A slow-moving and occasionally tail-twitching species of woodland thickets and dense cover; often found in mixed-species flocks. Note its black face and crown that is boldly marked with white spots and contrasts sharply with an entirely white throat. The similar Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager has a gray crown and a gray center to the throat. Vocalizations include a high thin “tseeoo” and “ts” as well as a nasal “byu.”