Santo Thicketbird

A chunky, heavy-billed songird. Highly variable, with possibly multiple species involved. Male is distinctive, with a black hood, a white throat (bright yellow on Tanimbar), a bright yellow underside, and dull green upperparts with a golden collar. Females are dull, with brown or gray upperparts, a pale throat, and pale buff to yellow underparts. Female differs from Fawn-breasted Whistler in having a larger body and a longer, heavier bill; from female Wallacean Whistler by absence of throat streaking; and from Drab Whistler by yellower underside and browner upperside. Vocalizations variable, with loud whistles sometimes ending in whip-cracking notes, such as “wee-wee-wee-WHIP-CHOO.”

Large, long billed hummingbird of the high Andes from Colombia south to far northwestern Peru. Mostly green with obvious buffy wing patch, which is its best ID feature; male has a purple spot on throat, and female has a buffy throat. Found in cloud forest and elfin forest up to near tree line; typically seen in clearings and forest edge, and visits feeders in some areas.

Small, pale chickenlike marsh bird with washed out gray-blue underparts that contrast with its olive brown back and crown. Note the thick yellow bill and frontal shield. Found in freshwater marshes with abundant floating vegetation where its appearances may be seasonal and erratic. Rarely seen swimming.