Somali Crombec

Small but strong-billed cisticola that is rufous on the cap and the back of the neck, rich gray-brown on the back, and pale buff below. The back is plain in breeding plumage but has blurry streaks in non-breeding plumage. Note the black band and pale tips across the end of the tail. Found locally in savanna and dry woodland, mostly in the grassy understory. Very similar to Red-pate Cisticola, and best distinguished by song, but also has a duller rufous cap and more buffy underparts, especially the undertail. Also similar to Foxy and Rufous Cisticolas, but larger, with a rufous cap that contrasts with the gray-brown back. The song is a short, high-pitched trill, sometimes followed by several whistled notes. 

Small, short-tailed bird found in lowland and foothill rainforest. Male is easy to identify with his glossy black body and azure crown. Female is mostly lime green with a yellowish belly; her plumage is much greener than other similar species such as Choco Manakin and female Red-capped Manakin. Most common call is a short, ringing trill. Male’s display song is a buzzy “purwit!”. Usually seen at lower to middle levels in the forest, plucking berries from fruiting trees. Formerly called Blue-crowned Manakin before that species was split. Velvety Manakin’s range includes Costa Rica, Panama, western Colombia, and northwestern Ecuador.

A small, active warbler that can be found around the forest edge and inside the forest itself. Entirely restricted to the wet highland forests of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Nigeria, where it can be locally common. Gray below and green above with a black cap and a distinct buffy throat and face bisected by a black eye-line. Can be confused with other small warblers, especially migrant warblers from Europe, but note Black-capped Woodland-Warbler’s distinct facial pattern and localized distribution. Song is a rapid, high-pitched jumble of notes, usually delivered over the space of about half a second.