Sulawesi Babbler

A medium-sized flycatcher with strikingly different male and female plumages. Male is beautifully colored, with deep blue upperparts, mostly orange underparts, and a white belly. Female is much duller, with a grayish head, gray-brown wings, a rufous tail, and rufous-washed underparts. Found at low and middle elevations in forest, especially in densely vegetated ravines and stands of bamboo. Song mixes melodious warbling and whistling with thin “seet” notes. Calls are a loud “chek” or “tak,” reminiscent of stones tapping. Male resembles male Mangove Blue Flycatcher, but generally found in different habitat and separated by darker blue back and more uniformly rufous underparts, including the chin. Female can be confused with many other flycatchers, but is usually identified by its combination of a rufous-washed breast and a lack of wingbars.

Large, rare tinamou found in cloud forest along the east slope of the Andes. It is uniformly sooty gray, much darker and plainer than Gray Tinamou. Rusty lower underparts are hard to see in the field. Like other forest tinamous, it is far more likely to be heard than seen. Vocalizations include a low, drawn out coo, like a dove’s but longer, and a series of low, modulated whistles.

Elegant lapwing with a white stripe through eye (like a sunglass strap), a red wattle in front of the eye, and a thick and complete black breast-band. Smaller and shorter-legged than Masked Lapwing. Not generally an urban bird, it is more common inland. In more coastal areas it tends to be limited to areas with very short grass (e.g., airports, turf farms).