Sharp-tailed Tyrant

Male is a fairly distinctive seedeater with yellow belly (sometimes very pale), dark breast and face, and brownish-olive back. Often shows some smudgy dark marks down the flanks. Bill is pale silvery. Female seedeaters are extremely difficult to identify; Yellow-bellied tends to look warmer with yellowish tones on underparts, but many are best left unidentified unless accompanied by a male. Most often found in flocks or pairs in open grassy habitats, sometimes near the edge of forest but also in agricultural areas.

A glossy-black starling with a unique, tall, permanently raised vertical crest. Also note the separate whitish markings on the sides of the breast and cheeks, and the pale skin around the eye. Occurs in forest and wooded areas of the lowlands and hills, where usually encountered in pairs or small groups in the canopy. Silhouette makes it unmistakable in its very limited range on the island of Seram. Calls include raucous, screeching “weet” notes; softer, well spaced piping notes; metallic “plink” notes; and “yee-ow” phrases.

Relatively brightly-colored foliage-gleaner restricted to mountains and hills of southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru. It has an orange nape and sides of neck, a cinnamon tail, buffy eyebrow and throat, and buffy streaks on the underparts. Sexes look alike. Found in both dry and humid forest, including areas with abundant bamboo, and typically seen at lower to middle levels. Song is a harsh, scratchy “bouncing ball” series. Threatened by habitat loss.