Yellow-throated Fiji Whistler

Shy and skulking brushfinch restricted to cloud forest in Colombia’s Santa Marta Mountains. Quite distinctive in its limited range, with a black face and breast spot, white throat, and striped head. It stays low in the understory and is often hard to see, but sometimes visits feeders within El Dorado Nature Reserve, where it can be easier to find. Song is a long series of high-pitched squeaks and trills.

Large tanager that resembles an icterid. Males are glossy black with a bright red throat, which is absent on females. An inhabitant of dry scrubby forest (caatinga), gallery woodland, and open areas, usually near water. Seen in pairs or small groups. Song also recalls icterids: a loud “chirt” repeated for long periods. Best distinguished from icterids by its blunter, more curved bill.

A fruit-loving inhabitant of woodlands and gardens. Adult is yellow (often tinged green or orange), sports a black beard, and has very large white wing patches covering half of the otherwise black wing. Immatures look similar, but they have two broad white wingbars instead of a white patch. Immature male Orchard Oriole looks somewhat similar, but it is smaller and lacks the bold white wing markings seen on Jamaican Orioles. Songs include a rapid series of rich, whistled, and mostly down-slurred phrases and “cheat-you, cheat-you, cheat-you, cheat-you, cheat.”