Ferruginous Antbird

Large, black-and-white puffbird with a brown breast patch. In addition to its brown band, note the lack of a white eyebrow, present in other black-and-white puffbirds. Found mainly in forests with sandy or rocky soil, often with stunted vegetation. In some parts of its range, it is also found in mature upland rainforest. Its song is a long, rising series of whistles, followed by a slowly descending series of stuttered whistles “wi wi woo, wi wi woo, …”.

Breeding males are beautiful and distinctive with rich reddish-brown head, buffy forehead, pearly gray body, and pinkish breast. Look for large white wing patches in flight. Females are plainer warm brown overall, with a small pale bill. Very difficult to distinguish from female American Wigeon; note warmer brown head on Eurasian with little contrast between head, breast, and sides. Also look for dirty grayish, not bright white, underwings in flight, but this can be difficult to judge, especially at a distance. Widespread and common in Eurasia, breeding at northern latitudes and wintering south to central Africa and Southeast Asia. Typically in flocks on lakes and wetlands, often grazing in nearby fields. Regular winter visitor to North America, especially on the west coast, usually in very small numbers among flocks of American Wigeon.

A large nectar-eating bird with a decurved beak and a long graduated tail. Dull brown above, it is mostly pale below with a broad rusty breast band and crown and a yellow undertail. Pairs prefer to breed in areas of flowering Protea in escarpment mountains; when these become senescent, the sugarbirds move to lower altitudes, congregating on other flowers such as aloes. The species sings a characteristic scratchy, jumbled twittering and twanging. The larger Cape Sugarbird is similar, but has a much longer graduated tail, moustache-like stripes, and a harsher song, and lacks the rusty breast and crown.