Yellow-browed Tyrant

Very local in humid evergreen forest of limestone (karst) lowlands and foothills in northern Oaxaca and adjacent Veracruz; endemic. Stays on or near the ground, moving quickly among limestone boulders, popping in and out of caves and crevices. Like most wrens, heard more often than seen, but can be curious; sometimes appears at close range, bobbing and holding its tail cocked. Distinctive: rather chunky with a very long bill, a pale gray face marked with a dark cheek patch, and a rusty breast.

A large, odd-looking parrotbill with a big yellow bill. Note the white face bordered by a black ear-patch and breast. Inhabits wetlands with tall reeds and grasses. Calls include a loud, nasal “cr-crwee-crwee-crwee-...” and some other repeated non-nasal notes such as “whit-whit-whit-...”. Forages among reeds in pairs or small groups.

Medium-sized, dull-olive tetraka, with a pale “spectacle” around the eye. Madagascar endemic that is found in the understory of rainforest. Often joins mixed flocks with tetrakas and other birds. Call is a series of silvery, sputtered “spit” notes. Separated from other tetrakas by its bold spectacles. Some birds in the northeast are dark, similar to the very rare Dusky Tetraka, but they can be separated by their brighter spectacles, paler underparts, and longer tail.