Velvet Scoter

A small, “cute” gerygone. Has a gray-olive cap with a paler gray throat, a broken white eye-ring, a banana-yellow belly and underside, and grayish-olive wings. Widespread in most habitats, including town gardens. Voice includes a quiet, thin melodic warbling, “tee poo tee tee poo tee.”

Scarce denizen of cloud forest along the east slope of the Andes in Ecuador, Peru, and southern Colombia. Olive with a blotchy white eyering and gray belly and tail. Black crown stripe is usually concealed. It feeds on both fruit and insects inside tall forest, and almost never comes out to the edge. Occasionally gives a loud, ringing “suWEE,” which makes it easier to track down.

Medium-sized thrush of montane forests. Looks large and bulky compared to other thrushes in range; note male’s distinctive black head contrasting with brownish-olive body and yellow bill and legs. Female is similarly patterned but much duller. Found in highland forest and second growth, generally above 800 meters, where it is often the most common thrush. Most reliably seen at fruiting trees, where many individuals may congregate; also often seen at middle levels of forest, where it may take conspicuous perches to assess an observer before flying off. Song is a halting series of phrases, many of them doublets, generally alternating between rich, low notes and high reedy ones; call note is a rich, liquid bark. Male is unlikely to be confused with other species; female could be confused with female Pale-eyed Thrush but is larger, has darker eyes with distinct eyering and a semblance of male’s hooded look.