Lesser Hornero
Furnarius minor
The smallest hornero. Plumage rusty overall with a white eyebrow, a gray crown, and a white throat. Note the gray legs. Found in scrub on river islands and occasionally in human-modified habitats near major rivers. Forages walking on the ground, especially at the water’s edge. The song is a series of fast staccato “kee” notes, usually given in duet. Other horneros with overlapping distributions have longer and louder songs.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Furnarius minor
- Authority
- Pelzeln, 1858
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Genus
- Furnarius
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds

Yellow-crowned Canary
Serinus flavivertex
Colorful seedeater with an olive-green back, black wings with two yellow wingbars, and a mostly yellow head and underparts. Females and immatures are duller, with more brown tones and streaking. Found in open montane habitats including grassland, cultivation, forest edge, and heath. The song is a high-pitched, twittering jumble. Similar to White-bellied Canary, but found in different habitat, has bolder wingbars, and lacks a moustache facial mark.

American Oystercatcher
Haematopus palliatus
Large, bulky shorebird with thick red bill. Unmistakable, striking plumage. Exclusively coastal; favors beaches where it feeds on shellfish and other invertebrates; less frequent in rocky areas. Gathers in flocks during migration and winter. Listen for loud yelps and whistles, often in a rapid series when excited. Hybrids with Black Oystercatcher occur locally in southern California and Baja; look for messy spotting where the black hood meets the white belly (sometimes very limited but often quite extensive).

Makira Dwarf-Kingfisher
Ceyx gentianus
A small kingfisher with deep purplish-blue upperparts and clean white underparts, a white neck spot, and bright orange legs. Bill is black. Prefers mature forest, not necessarily near water, often perching low. No other dwarf-kingfisher shares its range. Told from Little Kingfisher by orange legs and lack of blue on chest. Call apparently nearly identical to that of other Melanesian dwarf-kingfishers: a high-pitched, weak repetitive whistle, often given in flight.
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