Western Bluebill

A flightless rail with a plain rufous back and neck, a plain gray throat and narrow eyebrow, a dark bill, and underparts barred brown and white. Seemingly tolerant of a wide variety of habitats, including secondary forest and gardens. Similar to Buff-banded Rail, but underparts barred brown-and-white, not black-and-white, and upperparts much plainer. Call is reportedly a rapidly repeated high-pitched “ki-ti-ki-ti-ki-ti.”

Small plain vireo of tropical forest and woodland in lowlands. Usually stays fairly high in trees and likely to be overlooked unless its rather tuneless, monotonously repeated song is learned. Identified by a combination its gray head (in Mexico and Central America) with a diffuse whitish eyering; whitish underparts with a yellowish wash on the sides; and plain olive upperparts. Head of birds from eastern Panama to South America is olive, with a whitish eyering.

An adaptable songbird of open areas such as farmland, forest edge, meadows, wetlands, and fields and a common sight as a familiar dark silhouette perched on wires, fences, or snags. Black plumage flashes blue and green iridescence in favorable light, though much less so than in Hair-crested or Bronzed Drongo. A pugnacious species, frequently chasing away larger birds with repeated dives and harsh chattering calls. A skilled mimic of other species, and a strong songster in general, delivering a wide range of pleasant fluty calls, harsh chattering, nasal notes, and high sharp whistles.