Bolivian Blackbird

Rare bird of stunted treeline forest in the high Andes of Ecuador and southern Colombia. Mostly gray with a chestnut belly; male has a black cap. Usually seen perched atop a tree or tall bush, and perhaps more likely to be encountered early in the morning on dry days. Call is a raspy, nasal “greh!”

Slender pale sandpiper with a fine, needle-like bill. Note the overall slim and elegant shape, with very long and slender greenish legs: suggests a much smaller Greenshank that’s been to ballet school. In flight appears dark above with broad white stripe up middle of back; long legs project well past tail tip. Usually found singly or mixed in with other waders in varied fresh to brackish wetland habitats, usually with open water. Feeds by wading in water, picking with its bill. Repetitive mellow calls somewhat similar to Greenshank, but rather monotone and with a sharper quality.

Small, long-tailed Curruca warbler, very similar to Spectacled and Subalpine Warblers. Males are distinctive with very deep rusty underparts, a rusty throat (sometimes paler mid-throat), rusty wings, and a hint of pale buff moustache. Females are pale brown and less distinctive with normally rather warm-toned underparts. Breeds on mountain slopes covered in dense, low bushes, tamarisk scrub, and vegetated desert wadis; non-breeding habitat is sometimes lower in elevation, but typically similarly open and scrubby. Song a scratchy whistle. Call a low "trrrrr."