Banda Myzomela

A small, dumpy, buff-brownish flycatcher with a pale throat, a short eyebrow in front of the eye, a mostly plain crown, and indistinct mottling on the breast. It prefers thicker woodland and the edges of evergreen and riverine forest, perching at lower and middle levels and sallying to catch insects, or occasionally sitting on the ground. High-pitched “tzeet” and “tsirit” calls often betray its presence. The similar migrant Spotted Flycatcher has a longer tail and wings than the African Dusky Flycatcher, and it also has distinct streaking on the crown. The Gambaga Flycatcher is paler and mostly restricted to arid woodland.

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.

A graceful aerial feeder often found swooping for insects over pine woodlands or perched in tall snags. The Tree Swallow is rather similar, but has a blue-green rather than golden-green iridescence above. Also, the Tree Swallow has a less deeply forked tail and lacks the white on the side of neck that is present on the Golden Swallow. Vocalizations include a scratchy “chit-it” or “chit,” a sweet inflected “ch-yoy,” and various musical twitters.