Madagascar Jacana

A large gray pigeon with yellow eyes and a dark bill. Shows uniform dark gray upperparts and paler gray head and underparts, becoming buff on the undertail. Juveniles display reddish-brown fringes to wing and tail feathers. Singles and pairs inhabit canopy of forest and woodland within foothills and mountains of Timor and Wetar. Distinguished from Metallic Pigeon by the entirely dark bill, the bright yellow eyes, the lack of red skin around the eye, and the lack of iridescent body markings. Gives a distinctive deep, stuttering, bubbling call, “brrrrrr,” sometimes preceded by a soft “whup” note.

Large and striking antpitta found from Colombia to extreme northwestern Peru. Typical antpitta shape: plump and short-tailed with long legs. Brown above and medium slaty gray below with rich rufous crown that bleeds into brown head. Small pale patch behind eye. Sexes alike. Shy and very difficult to see; stays on or near the ground in montane forest, usually associated with bamboo thickets. Found from 2,000–3,000 m. Best seen by walking slowly and quietly along forest trails in the early morning or evening; has also been trained to eat worms at several reserves in Colombia and Ecuador.

Striking bird of high elevation Andean cloud forest. Plumage is yellow with a strawberry red hood and dark wings; nothing similar occurs within its range. Male has a more extensive red hood than female. Uncommon and infrequently encountered. Pairs or small groups usually stay high in the forest canopy and may occasionally join mixed-species flocks. Gives short bursts of clear, high-pitched notes that can carry surprisingly far over mountain slopes.