Splendid Starling

Uncommon and unobtrusive in lowland and foothill forests. Unremarkable yet distinctive in its appearance: olive brown above and pale below with a bicolored bill, somewhat resembling a large-bodied, small-headed sparrow in structure if not in size. Male has yellow edges on the wings and a blood-red eye; female lacks these yellow areas and has a duller brownish eye. Gives a nasal “nyeh!” as well as an odd, low grating trill. Forages at beehives, consuming beeswax like its more well-known relatives.

A hulking gray ibis the size of a large goose and with a distinctively long-bodied appearance, this increasingly rare scimitar-billed waterbird is unmistakable in its limited range. Size alone separates this species from other ibises that share its range; also note wrinkly bald head, dark back, and beautifully scalloped wings. Forages singly, in pairs, or in small flocks. Inhabits lowland plains, moving in response to water availability, occasionally gathering at waterholes during especially dry periods. Forages in marshy or flooded openings in wooded areas, and roosts and nests in nearby trees. Gives loud rolling bugles at dawn and dusk.

Striking, critically endangered bird found only at extremely high elevations in the Andes of central Peru. One of the most beautiful members of the ovenbird family, with immaculate white underparts and wing patches contrasting with its deep chestnut upperparts and gray crown. Found only in and around boggy areas with strange cushion-like vegetation, a habitat severely threatened by peat harvesting, grazing, mining, and other human activities. Gives metallic rasps and rattling trills, often while perched up on a rock.