Lesser Flamingo

Beautiful, dainty bee-eater with a bright reddish head and yellow throat. Dark “necktie” most noticeable when in flight overhead. Inhabits forest edge, wooded clearings, and open areas with clusters of trees; often uses exposed perches. Some populations undertake regional movements, vacating breeding grounds after the monsoons pass. Often gives bright chirrupy calls.

Small thrush-like bird with distinctive black-and-white tail pattern best seen in flight. Throughout most of range, breeding male is overall pale with gray back and buffy throat, black mask, and black wings. Breeding female is duller without black mask. Nonbreeding and immature birds are bright buffy overall with subtle pale eyebrow and lack contrasting black wings. Note long legs and upright posture. Tends to stay on the ground or on low perches. Primarily Eurasian species with a limited breeding range in Alaska; breeds in areas of bare rock and short grass and spends the non-breeding season in open habitats such as grasslands and barren rocky plains. Jumbled-sounding song is quite variable, often including whistles, trills, and mimicry. Calls include a high-pitched “weet”, dry rattle, and dry “chak”, often repeated.

Beautiful parrot found in Andean cloud forest in western Ecuador and western Colombia. Green with golden breast and neck, and a red face bordered with black. Nothing similar occurs in range. Most often encountered flying rapidly overhead in small flocks that give piercing shrieks. Feeds on fruiting trees, usually high in the canopy, but sometimes descends lower where there is abundant food.