Mocking Cliff-Chat

Large unmistakable toucan with a huge, rainbow-colored bill. Often seen in pairs, but not usually in groups like aracaris. Flies with a few flaps followed by a swooping glide, sometimes high over the forest canopy, and looks like a ‘flying banana.’ Heard more often than seen: ‘song’ is a far-carrying, frog-like croak, repeated steadily. Despite its large size and bright colors, can be difficult to see in leafy canopy, where it moves deliberately in search of food.

Plain brown warbler with pale legs. Breeds in Central Asia; winters primarily on the Indian peninsula. Prefers trees with sparse canopy in open, dry habitat. Can be told from Blyth’s Reed Warbler by its leaf-warbler-like behavior and longer tail, and from Booted Warbler by its less compact appearance; flatter stance; longer pale bill (mostly without a dark tip); longer, more loosely attached tail; more pointy face; harder call; and preference for canopy tops. Call is a hard, fast, continuous arrhythmic “thk…thk, thk, thk.”

Small brownish hummingbird with distinctive black cheek and pale buffy eyebrow. Throat variably speckled; some populations are cleaner than others. Green back; dark tail with buffy corners. Face pattern could recall a hermit, but combination of small size, straight dark bill, and squared tail should alleviate any confusion. Widespread and fairly common in the Andes, where it forages low within forest or at the forest edge. Found from 1,000–3,000m. Visits feeders.