Barred Cuckooshrike

Plump, short-tailed bird of Amazonian rainforest. Both sexes have a chestnut breast. Male has a black face and throat and a bright white tuft behind the eye. Female lacks black in her plumage, and instead of a tuft she has a pale line through her face. Female is similar to female Ash-throated Gnateater but has plain, unmarked wings. Birds in central Brazil south of the Amazon are now considered a separate species, Black-breasted Gnateater; male Chestnut-belted has less black extending only to upper breast; female looks almost identical. Usually seen on a low perch in the understory and may resemble a small antpitta. Vocalizations include a rattling, metallic trill and a short, soft “chuff”.

The smallest wood-rail with a white throat and a rusty breast and belly. Note the green bill with a red base. Found in mangroves, swamps, and lagoons along the coast, but also migrates to interior dry-land areas to breed. Similar to Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail, which only occurs in woodlands and has a gray (not rusty) breast. Told from Gray-cowled Wood-Rail by its white throat rather than the gray throat seen on Gray-cowled Wood-Rail.

A drab sparrow of northeastern Africa. The head and underparts are gray, the wing and back are brown, and the rump is rufous. Generally common within its range in all habitats except closed-canopy forest. Fond of human habitation. Very similar to Northern Gray-headed Sparrow, but there is little overlap in range, and Swainson’s has darker underparts. Also very similar to Parrot-billed Sparrow, but slightly smaller and slimmer-billed, with paler underparts. The call is a ringing “churp.”