Belding's Yellowthroat

Medium-sized, dull flycatcher; resembles a Myiarchus but has smaller bill, rounder head, and little contrast between breast and belly. Locally distributed and poorly known; found in seasonally inundated and scrub woodlands on weathered white sands. Inconspicuous and best located by voice; behaves sluggishly, sallying to foliage for insects; also eats fruit. May be found alone or in loose association with other species. Distinctive voice is a rich, slurred whistle, Schiffornis-like in quality and unlike any other species in habitat.

Plain yellowish bird with a weak crest and pale brow; doesn’t look like any other tit. Darker above than below, but largely lacks eye-catching physical features. Often joins mixed-species flocks in small groups. Inhabits montane evergreen forests, where it sticks to the middle and upper levels of the vegetation. Calls are high and thin with a lisping quality; song is a series of one constantly repeated note.

This large swallow has a brick-red rump and underparts and dark blue upperparts. It is told from other swallows by the metallic-blue patches on the side of the head that cover the ears and eyes. It is resident near the equator and is a wet season breeding visitor in the north and south of its range. The Rufous-chested Swallow flies strongly, with frequent swoops and changes of course, over sparse woodland, grassland, wetland edges, and other open habitats. In flight it differs from similar swallows by the color of the forward part of the underwing: buffy in Rufous-chested Swallow and white in Mosque Swallow, which also has a pale throat.