Rufous-rumped Lark

Medium-sized, fairly long-tailed antshrike of lowland rainforest. Perches upright in the under and midstory of mature rainforest, bamboo, and occasionally forest edges. The male is slaty gray overall while the more distinctive female has a red-orange belly. Often joins mixed-species flocks, where it typically forages slightly higher in vegetation than the similar Dusky-throated Antshrike. Males are best separated from other plain gray antshrikes by more upright posture, slightly longer tail, cleaner gray throat, and voice. Listen for a short series of rising whistles that accelerate into a trill.

Handsome and uncommon thrasher of oak scrub, thickets, and brushy woodland; endemic to interior highlands of central Mexico. Tosses leaves noisily on the ground, but is usually skulking and rarely seen unless singing. Sings year-round and at any time of day (but mainly early and late), often from a prominent perch. Note the long arched bill, pale eyebrow, brownish eyes, and bold black breast spots (like eyespots, hence the name ocellated). Curve-billed Thrasher occurs in the same areas and is more common, but has golden eyes and weak blurry spotting on breast; beware, song can be similar.

No similar species in its Andean range. Fairly common in open puna and páramo habitats; often near bogs in south of its range and in trees around timberline in north of its range. Mainly feeds on the ground. Nests in cavities in dirt bluffs, walls of old buildings, sometimes in colonies. Note the gray crown and buffy face with a dark whisker (on both sexes, but tipped red on male), big white rump patch, and yellow shafts to wing feathers (mainly visible in flight).