Carpentarian Grasswren

A medium-sized, long-billed sunbird in which males and females are very different. Males have a green head, a purple forehead, a red-and-yellow band across the chest, and a black belly. Females are plain, with olive-gray on the back and pale gray below. Found in dry thorn savanna, woodland, and gardens. Range does not overlap with any other species in which the males have a red belly band. Females can be identified by their darker underparts than other female sunbirds in the Arabian Peninsula. Vocalizations include chatters, trills, and a single “veet” note.

Medium-sized green hummingbird with a rounded, white-tipped tail and decurved black bill, found only in the tepui region of Venezuela and Guyana. Female is very similar to male but with some spotting on the green underparts. Common in dry to humid grassy areas with small trees or scrub, forest edges, gallery forest, and morichales. Mostly alone, feeding at flowers and often catching insects. Voice is a series of loud and high pitch “tsit” notes.

Male very similar in appearance to Daurian Redstart; note more restricted silver on the forehead and less distinct wing panel. Female’s lack of a white wing patch distinguishes her from female Daurian, and she averages paler than female Black Redstart, with a brighter eye-ring. Blue-fronted Redstart female can be similar; Hodgson’s female is colder-toned with a single dark stripe down the tail instead of Blue-fronted’s inverted “T.” Hodgson’s breeds in hilly and montane open forests and forest edge; descends in the winter, favoring scrubby edge.