Sabine's Spinetail

Shy and inactive inhabitant of the lower levels of wet lowland and foothill forest. Male has a pitch-black head, orangey-brown back, and eye-catching scarlet breast and belly. Female has yellow underparts and a more grayish head. Very similar to Scarlet-rumped Trogon, but note Cinnamon-rumped’s uncontrasting brownish-orange rump. Song is a brief series of descending “tyaup” notes.

Drab, pale-gray flycatcher with little plumage contrast; very similar to other flycatchers, especially Dusky and Hammond's. Often best identified by unique habit of wagging tail downward. Breeding habitat also distinctive: lower, more open habitat than other flycatchers, usually in sagebrush or open juniper forest. In migration and winter, habitat overlaps more with other flycatchers, but still tends to prefer more open areas. Other subtle differences in appearance include shorter wingtips, longer bill, and paler plumage. Song includes hoarse "chivik" phrase and higher, clearer "pseeoo." Call similar to Dusky. Without an excellent view, sometimes best left unidentified.

Buoyant “river tern” with dramatically different breeding and non-breeding plumages. Breeding adult is wildly conspicuous in flight, with contrasting black-and-white plumage; at rest note white shoulders contrasting with black body. Non-breeding and younger birds are white with gray patches and black “earmuffs.” In areas of overlap, juvenile told from Black Tern by dark back contrasting with lighter upperwings and white rump and by black marking above the shoulder. Non-breeding Whiskered Tern can be similar, but has a faded, patchy dark crown instead of earmuffs. Commonly found in flocks around rivers, lakes, and wetlands, where it picks food from surface instead of splash-diving; generally not as closely associated with saltwater as many typical terns.