Black-striped Sparrow

Rare and declining sparrow found in longleaf pine woodlands with grassy or brushy undergrowth. Usually quite secretive. Look for unstreaked grayish-tan underparts, rufous and gray pattern on back and wings, and rufous cap and eyeline. Similar to Cassin's and Botteri's Sparrow but no range or habitat overlap. Population west of Mississippi River brighter buffy below. Usually found singly. Easiest to detect when singing; listen for two-parted song, a thin whistle followed by a musical junco-like trill. Subsequent phrases usually differ in pitch.

Tiny flycatcher found in the understory of forests with bamboo. Plain olive-brown above and pale buff below. Note the buff spot in front of the eye. The similar Drab-breasted Pygmy-Tyrant has a white (not buff) spot in front of the eye and occurs at lower elevations than the Brown-breasted Pygmy-Tyrant. The song is series of “tic-tic-tic” notes.

A small, noisy inhabitant of woodlands including mangrove swamps and shade coffee plantations; often feeds low, near ground. This relatively plain species has a grayish head and chest that contrasts with a yellow-washed belly. The White-eyed Vireo looks passingly similar, but has bold white wingbars and a yellow spot in front of the eyes. The Caribbean Elaenia has whitish wingbars and is usually found perched upright or flycatching. Puerto Rican Vireos sing “chuwee-chuweech-you,” “Chewee-wit-weee,” or variations therein. Its calls include a plaintive “zhe, zhe, zhe…” and an emphatic “djuh.”