Black-headed Hemispingus

A spectacular and iconic cloud forest bird of northwestern Ecuador and western Colombia. Note gray throat, red breast and belly, black cap, thick white stripe behind eye, and stout, yellow bill tipped with black. Nothing remotely similar occurs in range. Usually found in pairs in the forest canopy, often with mixed-species flocks. Eats large insects as well as fruit; visits feeders. Song duet is a characteristic sound of the region. Male and female simultaneously give a long series of nasal toots at slightly different pitch and pace, so that sometimes the notes overlap.

Very plain gray-brown seedeater with a pale chin, blurry streaks running down the breast, and an olive-yellow rump, which is conspicuous in flight. Found in dry, rocky habitats in hilly and montane areas, which vary from dense woodland to areas with only scattered trees and bushes. Often in pairs. Has the odd habit of frequently flicking its tail. The song is a steady stream of musical whistles and trills. Similar to Yemen Serin, but has a weaker facial pattern and an olive rump.

Tiny, disproportionately long-tailed, active, and vocal. The upperparts are gray-brown with heavy dark streaking, the underparts are pale, and each tail feather shows both pale and dark tips. Generally found in rather moist habitats within arid zones, including field margins, riparian woodland, scrub, gardens, and wetlands; can be quite numerous. Very vocal, especially in spring. The song is a rattling series of dry chirps, subtly different from the slower-paced song of Graceful Prinia. Males often sing from obvious perches. Visually extremely similar to Graceful Prinia, but there is little overlap in range. In any areas of overlap, best separated by song, but Delicate is also slightly longer- and narrower-tailed and browner.