Shining Flycatcher

A unique little songbird found in the temperate zone of the Andes from extreme western Venezuela to northern Peru. Not bright, but distinctively patterned with a black head, a buffy central crown stripe, staring pale eyes, and a gray body. Pairs or small flocks forage through shrubby forests and edges, often perching on the tops of bushes. Follows mixed-species flocks. Occurs from around 2,700 to 3,400 m.

A small seed-eating species of forests with dense understory. Commonly found in pairs feeding on the ground. Males are entirely jet-black, whereas females have a largely buff-brown body and a gray head. Females of the similar-looking Lesser Antillean Bullfinch are grayish below with a browner head. The male Lesser Antillean Bullfinch is mostly black but has a small red throat patch that male St. Lucia Black Finches lack. Both sexes of bullfinch also have a smaller bill than that of the black finch. Vocalizations include a high “tseea-ts-ts-tsew” and a slightly squeaky “tsip.”

A long, slim pipit-like lark with a slender bill, a bold white eyebrow, and warm-and-dark spangled upperparts. Pairs forage for invertebrates in open thorny savanna, preferring short-cropped grass and open grazed fields. In a characteristic display the male flies low to the ground before flying directly up 8 to 10 meters, then closing its wings and plummeting to the ground while emitting a “weeeeoooo” whistle. It also gives a clear, very high-pitched “tseeet-tsooooe” and other whistles. Its range does not overlap with any of the similar long-billed larks. Rufous-naped Lark differs from Short-clawed Lark by being chunkier, with a crest and a rusty nape and wings; the smaller Sabota Lark is more compact, with bolder facial markings.