Spectacled Tyrannulet

A stunning little bird, extremely brightly-colored for a fulvetta. Body is lit up by yellow undersides and sunny orange patches on the wings. Coal-black head with a white ear is reminiscent of Coal Tit, but rounder and crestless. Color scheme loosely resembles that of Silver-eared Mesia, which is much larger and has a more elongated body shape. Travels in large, noisy flocks through dense mid- to high-altitude forests.

Small tanager-like bird with sharply hooked, slightly upturned bill, male all black and female yellow-olive. Both sexes show a white flash under the wing, better visible in flight. Usually alone or in pairs, hyperactively piercing flowers in shrubby areas, forest edges, and canopy in second growth forests. Voice a series of fast and repetitive soft chattering notes. No similar flowerpiercers within its very limited range. Endemic to the Turimiquire and Paria regions of northeastern Venezuela.

Plain and often confusing hummingbird found along lower to middle slopes of the Andes. Note its limited range in the eastern Andes of Colombia and the Andes of Venezuela. Plumage is mostly green with rusty-brown rump and tail. Its name is deceptive as the belly is typically brown or buff, not green. Similar to Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, but bill is darker and less red, and rump and tail are browner and less rufous. Inhabits forest edge, clearings, and plantations. Birds found in the Tepui region are now considered a separate species, Copper-tailed Hummingbird.