Brown-winged Schiffornis

Unobtrusive small bird of brushy woodland and forest understory in tropical lowlands, mainly in drier habitats. Usually seen as singles or pairs, low in weedy growth. Male blue-black overall; with good views, note the blue forehead, ‘jowls,’ and rump. Female in West Mexico gray-brown overall, in East Mexico rich brown overall. Similar female Varied Bunting has a smaller bill and different call note: a wet plik; Blue Bunting call is a high tsik in West Mexico, a metallic chink in East Mexico.

As the name suggests, a large rosefinch. Male is bright pink with a dark face and frosty specks on the underparts. Female is streaky brown all over. Very similar to Streaked Rosefinch; look out for unstreaked upperparts in the male and softer, larger white spots on the underparts. Prefers more sparsely vegetated areas at higher elevations than Streaked Rosefinch, favoring alpine and subalpine scree slopes, boulder fields, and other open and barren environments; descends into similar habitat in the winter. Gives various chips, cheeps, and wheezy notes.

Medium-sized flycatcher commonly found in the canopy and border of forests, woodlands, savannas, and urban areas where it usually perches on exposed branches. Note the complicated head pattern with a black mask and crown, and a broad white eyebrow and mustache. The black crown also has a central yellow patch, which is often concealed. The body is streaky with a cinnamon rump and tail. Similar to Piratic flycatcher, but Variegated Flycatcher is larger and paler, with cinnamon on the tail and rump and with more boldly-marked wings. The call is nasal “pseeeu.”