Regal Sunbird

Stout-billed antshrike found in arid areas of western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. Male is brown and white with a black head, throat, and breast; tail is black with a white tip. Female is brown and buff with a black face speckled with white. Both sexes have a bushy crest and bold wing markings. Birds in the Marañon drainage look a bit different; males have paler faces and less black on the underparts; females have whiter underparts. Inhabits deserts, dry scrub, and deciduous forest understory. Song is a very fast, nasal trill that ends on a longer, higher note.

Generally uncommon and local small sunbird of open and sparsely wooded habitats across a range of elevations throughout central Africa. Male is stunning, with sparkling green head and back, dark purple forehead, and purple-and-red breast band. Namesake orange “tufts” near the front edge of the wing are often hidden. Compare with other similarly plumaged sunbirds across wide range, but note breast band, extensive forehead patch, and strongly decurved long bill. Female is much duller and harder to tell apart from other dull-plumaged sunbirds in the area; note plain, unmarked face and long bill, as well as relatively unstreaked yellow belly. Typically seen singly, occasionally gathering at flowering trees and shrubs. Song starts off with a few quick introductory notes before a loud, pulsing trill. Calls include a “chik” and high-pitched “tseep!”

Small, short-billed, warbler-like sunbird. The distinctive male has a blue bib. The female is drab but can be identified by its small pale eyebrow, greenish back, and overall size and shape. Found in forest at low elevation, mostly close to the coast. Often in forest understory; less conspicuous than a typical sunbird. Most distinctive vocalization is a rapidly repeated “tchew”. Shape, size, and olive-green back separate Plain-backed from other sunbirds.