Rufous-crowned Greenlet

Endangered songbird restricted to the western slopes of the northern part of Colombia’s eastern Andes. Note the white spectacles, striped face, and barred wings and tail. Very similar to the widespread Rufous-and-white Wren, but duller brown, lacking rich chestnut tones in the plumage, and its song tends to be faster and higher in pitch. Range is also helpful for ID, since the two species have limited, if any, overlap. Skulks in the understory of dry to semi-humid forest as well as in shady coffee and cacao plantations.

Spectacular, relatively large mostly green parakeet with a black face, slight bit of red on the forehead, and thin but prominent “horns” consisting of a crest made up of a pair of black feathers. Typically found in remnant patches of high-quality forest, but visits more disturbed habitat nearby, especially where fruiting trees are present. Found only on Ouvea Island off New Caledonia. Note distinctive voice: relatively low-pitched, nasal trumpeting notes, notably lower-pitched than the voice of Coconut Lorikeet.

A small, strikingly patterned sparrow which is extremely similar to the House Sparrow. The male has a bright chestnut eye-stripe, a gray crown and hindneck, a black patch restricted to the chin, a large white shoulder patch, and a black bill. The female is like the female House Sparrow, but note the less contrasting face with grayer head and cheeks. Found in scrub and reedy habitat along rivers, canals, and other wetlands. Colonial, and also mixes with other sparrows and finches.