Cinnamon-bellied Ground-Tyrant

Handsome, slender, green-and-rusty bird of humid tropical lowlands. Lives in evergreen forest, often at edges and around adjacent clearings. Perches upright at mid-heights on vines or other exposed perches and sallies out for flying insects, especially butterflies, dragonflies, and wasps. Note the very long, slender black bill (like a giant hummingbird). Throat is white on male and buffy on female. Loud shrieking calls may draw attention.

A drab sparrow of northeastern Africa. The head and underparts are gray, the wing and back are brown, and the rump is rufous. Generally common within its range in all habitats except closed-canopy forest. Fond of human habitation. Very similar to Northern Gray-headed Sparrow, but there is little overlap in range, and Swainson’s has darker underparts. Also very similar to Parrot-billed Sparrow, but slightly smaller and slimmer-billed, with paler underparts. The call is a ringing “churp.” 

A boldly patterned helmetshrike of lowland forests, often seen in small vocal groups. The bill is red and the head and chin are overall silvery gray. Has a black neck band and black wings, back, and tail. The chest is white and the belly, vent, and legs are reddish. Similar to the Red-billed Helmetshrike, with which it co-occurs locally in Cameroon, but Rufous-bellied Helmetshrike can be identified by its silvery gray chin and head (including below the eye) and the more extensive reddish coloration on its belly. Calls consist of liquid whistles and repeated grating “chew-two” calls.