Principe Seedeater

Small bird that resembles a combination of a dove, a swallow, and a plover. Soft gray-brown with a tan wash on the throat and black lores. Black-and-white wing pattern prominent in flight. Flight agile and erratic, resembling a bat or swallow; frequently flies in flocks at dusk. Favors rocky or sandy islands in rivers, but can also be found in marshes, estuaries, and lakesides. Distinguished from other pratincoles in range by smaller size and gray plumage. Calls are a high rolling “chirrit!”, reminiscent of terns.

Flashy, rather large hummingbird of humid tropical lowlands. Favors forest edges, adjacent clearings with scattered trees and flowering bushes, and gardens. Feeds at all levels, but often in the canopy, hovering with its tail cocked and frequently flashed open to show extensive white. Note the gleaming snow-white underparts, brilliant emerald-green upperparts, and flashy white outer tail feathers. Bill is medium-length, black, and sharply pointed (often pierces flower bases to get nectar). Sexes similar overall, but female lacks purple crown of male, which can be hard to see, and has a longer tail.

Medium-sized antpitta found in elfin forest and páramo near or above treeline in the Andes from western Colombia to extreme northwestern Peru. Typical antpitta shape: plump with short tail and long legs. Dull brownish plumage, darker above and buffier below. Sexes similar. Fairly common and much more conspicuous than most other antpittas; frequently seen bounding around in the open, though typically close to shrubby cover. Sometimes sings from a fairly prominent perch; listen for three piping whistles, a high first note followed by two lower notes.