Gray Seedeater

Small hummingbird with restricted range in Costa Rica and western Panama. Male is mostly glittering emerald with a bright white lower belly and outer tail feathers. Female similar, but white extends up to the throat. Both sexes have relatively short and very slightly decurved bill. Compare with Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, which has coppery shoulders and rump and lacks white in tail. Found in the foothills of the Pacific slope, from around 800–2,200m, where it occurs in forest, edges, and gardens.

Scarce, very local, and rarely seen rail of Patagonia. Found in fresh marshes and lake edges with tall reeds and rushes. Sometimes comes out to feed at edges of reeds early and late in the day, but mainly detected by voice. No similar species in range: note the striped back, barred flanks, and red bill. Plumbeous Rail is larger with plain plumage and a greenish bill.

Tiny, short-tailed bird with a thin, slightly upturned bill. Yellow eyering in all plumages, but different subspecies vary tremendously in plumage, ranging from black-headed to white-headed, streaked and unstreaked; in flight all, show prominent pale wingstripe. Inhabits woodlands, where usually seen in small flocks that methodically clamber along tree trunks, probing for insects in bark. Birds give frequent “chip-chip” call as they forage.