Black-faced Canary

A large, elegant black and white turkey-like bird with a prominent curly crest. Both sexes have a white belly and white tipped tail, but the male has a larger crest and yellow base to the bill with a large yellow knob; female is faintly barred white on the breast and has dark gray bill lacking the knob. No overlap with other curassow species. Found in dry forest, gallery forest, and humid forest; most often encountered walking in understory or crossing trails in small groups, but sometimes also seen perched higher in trees. Vocally active in breeding season; song is a surprisingly high-pitched, long, descending whistle “WHEEEeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuuuu,” reminiscent of a raptor.

Male has glittering purple-blue throat, green back and crown, paler grayish belly, and dark tail. Female less obvious, with spotted chest; note the pink base to the lower mandible of the bill. She is smaller than most other female hummingbirds that have spotted chests, such as White-necked Jacobin. Usually seen fairly low at forest edge or shrubby second growth. Nearly identical to Charming Hummingbird but no range overlap.

Handsome, stocky, and generally uncommon “finch” (actually a tanager) of bleak rocky slopes and bogs above timberline in Andes and Tierra del Fuego; southern birds also range to coastal lowlands in winter. Sides of tail white on northern birds, yellow on southern. Male has black throat framed by diagnostic yellow bridle; head and body either blue-gray overall or strongly washed greenish yellow. Female streaky overall, best identified by presence of males, and white (northern) or yellow (southern) edgings to tail feathers.