Cassin's Flycatcher

A plain clay-brown laughingthrush with a long, curved yellow bill. Largely without distinguishing plumage features, but note weak white brow, blue-gray tinge to the wings, and small black patches on the “elbow” and face. The only laughingthrush in much of its range. Forages in hilly and montane regions, where it often moves about noisily in medium-sized flocks in scrubby, brushy habitat, often near waterways. Long rambling song melodious and thrush-like; calls include fluid whistles, nasal chattering, and quiet peeping.

Gangly wader with a long bicolored bill. Breeding plumage is dark brick-red below (male) or pale orangey (female); nonbreeding plumage is overall gray-brown with white belly; compare to Black-tailed Godwit. In flight shows rather plain upperwings with only a faint whitish wing stripe; white rump and finely barred tail. Mainly coastal away from tundra breeding grounds. Often in flocks feeding on mudflats and in brackish coastal lagoons, roosting in adjacent freshwater habitats. Feeds by probing its long bill into the mud.

Uncommon, inconspicuous raptor with a fairly small bill. Adult has a pale head and reddish underparts with black streaks on neck. Juvenile has a more reddish head with less streaking. In flight, tail has obvious square corners with a dark band at the base. Sails over forest woodland habitats just above the tree canopy, typically with little wing movement. Occurs singly or in pairs. At a distance, and particularly when heavily worn, take care to identify juvenile birds from Black Kite, which has more uniformly patterned plumage.