Black-eared Cuckoo

Small flycatcher, extremely similar to several other species. Prefers clearings and boggy areas, often with patches of alders. Grayish-olive above and pale below with thin white eyering. Wings dark with bold white wingbars. Nearly identical to Willow Flycatcher; once considered the same species. Also compare with Least Flycatcher, which is very similar but has slightly shorter wingtips and a bolder eyering. Best identified by voice: song is a rolling, rough "freeBEER;" call is a clear "pip." Silent birds, especially in migration, often best left unidentified.

Stunning dove found in humid rainforest in lowlands and foothills. Notable features include a chestnut back, pale belly, golden neck patches, and a striking head pattern. Might be confused with the duller Violaceous Quail-Dove in dark forest, where color is not easy to discern; note the bold face pattern on Sapphire Quail-Dove. Usually encountered alone, quietly walking along the forest floor. May ascend to a low perch when flushed or when it sings—a soft, stuttered whistle repeated every few seconds.

Breeding plumage grayish above with white eyebrow; breast pale pinkish, mostly unstreaked. Nonbreeding plumage grayish brown above, whitish below with dark streaks; averages smudgier and less well-marked than American Pipit. Sides of tail clean white; compare with dingy white of Rock Pipit in areas of overlap. Song is a long series of repeated high-pitched notes; essentially a slow trill. Call a high, lisping, slightly upslurred "ssiip.” Breeds in mountains on barren, often rocky ground; winters in varied wetland habitats, from lakeshores to salt marshes.