White-bellied Chachalaca

Adult male glossy purple above, white below, with chestnut cheek patch, green wings, and white wing patch most noticeable in flight. Female gray-brown above, white below, and lacks the cheek patch; similar to a female Daurian Starling but less colorful, wing less marked. Prefers open areas with stands of tall vegetation. Regularly flocks with other starlings.

Buoyant “river tern” with dramatically different breeding and non-breeding plumages. Breeding adult is wildly conspicuous in flight, with contrasting black-and-white plumage; at rest note white shoulders contrasting with black body. Non-breeding and younger birds are white with gray patches and black “earmuffs.” In areas of overlap, juvenile told from Black Tern by dark back contrasting with lighter upperwings and white rump and by black marking above the shoulder. Non-breeding Whiskered Tern can be similar, but has a faded, patchy dark crown instead of earmuffs. Commonly found in flocks around rivers, lakes, and wetlands, where it picks food from surface instead of splash-diving; generally not as closely associated with saltwater as many typical terns.

Large, brown shorebird with long, decurved bill. Note bold head stripes. Occurs on mudflats, beaches, and coastal marshes. Often in flocks, sometimes mixed with other large shorebirds like Willet or godwits. Extensive global range, breeding on the Arctic tundra and wintering on coastlines as far south as Tierra del Fuego. Generally uncommon to rare inland. Most similar to Bristle-thighed Curlew, which overlaps locally in Alaska and the South Pacific. Whimbrel is colder brown and lacks the bright buffy rump of Bristle-thighed. Also compare with shorter-billed Little Curlew in Asia, and larger curlews like Long-billed, Eurasian, and Far Eastern. Listen for call, a series of short, shrill whistles.