Plumed Whistling-Duck

Pale, medium-sized gull, smaller and daintier than Glaucous or Herring Gulls. Often looks cute with rounded head and small bill. Extremely variable plumage. Variation is apparently clinal across the Arctic breeding range, from darkest in the west to palest in the east. The palest adults have very pale gray backs and nearly pure white wingtips. The darkest birds, formerly known as Thayer’s Gull, are darker gray above and have blackish wingtips. Young birds range from almost pure white to medium brown, never as dark as Herring Gull. First-year birds usually have a mostly dark bill. Winters along both coasts of North America and in Europe, often near the ocean or on large lakes. Typically found in small numbers among flocks of other large gulls.

A short-crested antshrike with a heavy bill and bold wing markings, found along coastal slope of northern Colombia and Venezuela. Male is mostly black with white flanks and wing and tail markings. Female is dull buff colored with a dusky spotted crown, dark wings with buffy markings, rufous tail, and a prominent buffy eyering. Locally common but hard to see in dense vine tangles in dry forest and shrubby areas. Territorial, mostly in pairs in the understory to mid-levels of the forest. Best found by voice, a nasal and harsh “kuarrrr!” repeated every two seconds. Similar to Black-crested Antshrike, but that species has a much more prominent crest, and the female has black wings and rufous crown.

A graceful, uniquely shaped raptor with long, narrow wings and deeply forked tail. Black-and-white with shining blue-gray upperwing. Usually seen in flight as it soars and glides while twisting its tail. Wingbeats are deep, fluid flaps. Found over a variety of wooded habitats with a preference for wetter habitats around rivers and ponds. Feeds mainly on insects captured on the wing.