Rimatara Reed Warbler

Rapidly declining dainty bustard of tall grassland. Male is black with a speckled brown back and white wings, while female is intricately patterned in buffy brown all over. Retiring and seldom seen outside of the breeding season, when the male’s extravagant leaping display flight frequently brings it above the grasses and into view.

Thrush-sized, plump bird of open habitats, especially near water. Particularly fond of riverside woodland but also around human settlements, clearings, and roadsides. Builds an impressive dome-shaped mud nest. Rich rufous above and pale tan below, with a whiter throat and eyebrow. Dark reddish-brown eye. Most often seen strutting confidently on the ground, and also perches up quite high to sing: listen for a long, loud, descending series of rough chip notes. Occurs in lowlands across much of South America, from the base of the Andes in Peru to far eastern Brazil.

Beautiful little flycatcher with a spiky crest found in the Andes of northern Peru, just barely reaching over the border into southern Ecuador. Male is quite distinctive with a solid black face, black-and-white streaking, and a long crest that sticks up in front of its white crown. Female and immature are grayer with less contrasting plumage and shorter crest; the orange bill might lead to confusion with Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant, but Black-crested lacks brown on the back and yellow on the belly. Very similar to Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant, but Black-crested has broader white tips to the tail; also note its more northern range. Inhabits scrub and light woodland, often giving squeaks and rapid trills.