Red-banded Flowerpecker

Chunky, medium-sized shorebird with short, stout bill. In breeding season, shows striking black face and belly with bold black-and-white checkering on upperparts; note clean white undertail. In nonbreeding season, more uniformly drab gray with whitish belly. Juveniles are crisp and neatly spangled above, often with a soft golden hue. Often confused with golden-plovers. In all seasons, note Black-bellied's stockier shape, thicker bill, and diagnostic black “armpits” in flight. Feeds on beaches and mudflats by walking or running, stopping, and pecking at the surface. Often in flocks. Common and widespread across the globe, especially on coastlines; less common inland. Breeds on Arctic tundra.

Look for the notably long, extremely decurved bill. Otherwise a typical woodcreeper, mostly warm brown with buffy streaks on the head and breast. Easy to identify when the only scythebill in range, but does overlap with other scythebill species. Especially beware of Curve-billed Scythebill, which typically has less streaking on the back (but streaking is variable across range, hence some might be best left unidentified). Red-billed’s red bill is usually obvious enough to distinguish from Brown-billed Scythebill, but can be difficult to judge in certain conditions. Note Red-billed is often found in drier forest than Brown-billed. Hitches up tree trunks much like a woodpecker. Most often seen following mixed-species flocks in the forest, sometimes in adjacent second growth. Typically below 1,000 m, but locally higher.

Small flycatcher of open and semiopen scrubby habitats in the Andes. Often in rocky valleys and gullies, and agricultural terraces in and around villages. Usually seen as singles or pairs, perched quietly at low to middle levels in bushes, dropping to the ground to snatch prey. Note its fairly long tail, which is often flicked upwards when perched. Combination of bold white eyebrow and overall gray plumage is distinctive. Compare with smaller Piura Chat-Tyrant, where the two species overlap locally in Peru.