Millerbird

Attractive, colorful vireo with thick white spectacles. Note dark blue-gray head, yellowish sides, and bold white wingbars. Breeds in forested areas, typically mixed coniferous and deciduous. Migrants can be found in any wooded area, often in flocks with other small songbirds. Winters from the southeastern U.S. to Central America. Blue-headed is the brightest of the "Solitary Vireo" complex, and usually identifiable by range alone. Compare especially with Cassin's Vireo on the wintering grounds, but note Blue-headed is more colorful and contrasty. Especially look for contrast between the dark gray face and white throat. Some birds are best left unidentified. Song is sweeter and slower than other vireos in breeding range.

The male is a flying gem of iridescent colors. The female is all gray with a black tail. The bill is long and downcurved, adapted to extract nectar from flowers. Normally found on flowering trees and bushes; often hovering. Favors urban and suburban gardens, but also natural habitats including arid zones, where it can be locally abundant. The male gives a beautiful series of musical whistles with local dialect variations.

Small screech-owl restricted to dry forests of western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. Note yellow eyes, small ear tufts, and vertical stripes on underparts. Overall plumage coloration ranges from brown to bright cinnamon. Very similar in plumage to several other screech-owls, and best identified by range, habitat, and voice. Typical song is a fast, gargling trill; also gives soft yaps.