Marquesan Monarch

One of a number of confusingly similar blue flycatchers. Male is brilliant blue above with orange throat and breast; note off-white lower belly. His dark orange throat distinguishes him from Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher. Female is drab brown with an orange chest, white belly, and dull rufous tail. Note weak orangish eyering, dull tannish throat, and overall warm brown coloration. Brown flanks in both sexes. Breeds in montane and hilly forest, typically in areas with dense undergrowth; winters at lower altitudes. Musical song is composed of trills and whistles; calls are a hard “tak” or “chek.”

Striking and scarce, this cotinga is found atop the canopy in the subtropical and temperate zone in the Andes. Like most cotingas, it is plump with a relatively short bill and tail. Key features include its mostly orange throat and neck and bold dark streaks on a pale yellowish belly. Also note the red eye and small chestnut shoulder patch. The namesake chestnut crest is usually laid flat down the nape, but is occasionally raised into a spectacular splayed bouquet of feathers. Occurs at lower elevations and typically in more intact forest than Red-crested Cotinga. Usually found singly or in pairs.

A large, pale-brown, ground-dwelling cuckoo with rusty wings and back. Skulks in bushes and low cover, where it moves clumsily as it searches for small invertebrates, small mammals, and birds to prey on. Like other coucals, it is a cuckoo that builds its own nest. Common throughout its range in gardens, groves, disturbed forests, paddyfields, etc. The song is a series of deep and resonant “hoop” notes.