Northern Bentbill

A tiny, short-billed sunbird with a metallic-green back and a yellow belly. The male has a green throat and a narrow purplish breast band; the female is duller, with a yellow throat and no breast band. Pairs frequent forest edge, woodland, and savanna, where they join mixed-species flocks to glean leaves and hover to catch insect prey. But they will also feed on fruit and nectar, often by piercing the base of a flower and sucking out nectar without pollinating. The “yellow-bellied” races of Variable Sunbird differ from Collared Sunbird by being larger, with a longer bill and broader purple-blue breast band.

Stunning and unmistakable blackbird of western North America. Males are black with a golden-yellow head and white patch on the wing. Females are all dark brown with messy yellow on the head and breast. Breeds in marshes, where males sing a grating, mechanical song. Winters in large flocks, mainly in Mexico. Often mixes with other species of blackbird. Forages in open areas, sometimes on barren dirt or in fields.

Small flycatcher found in subtropical and temperate zones of the Andes from Venezuela to Peru. Like most chat-tyrants, has a very bold eyebrow. Yellow-bellied is the only chat-tyrant that looks mostly yellow and is especially bright on the belly and throat. Note rufous wingbars. Singles or pairs are typically found in the understory of cloud forest and edges, especially near bamboo, but can be inconspicuous.