Ecuadorian Hillstar

An unobtrusive bird with an oversized head and bill. Look for tiger-striped pattern—warm cinnamon-brown overall with uneven black barring. Also note slightly darker cap and staring pale eye. Uncommon; found around forest edge and secondary woodland in the lowlands from Panama to western Ecuador. Perches still for long periods of time, often on an exposed perch. Frequently detected by distinctive wolf-whistling calls.

A long-tailed swallow with glossy-blue upperparts and white underparts. The throat is pale buff and there are dark marks at the sides of the breast, but no complete breast band. There is a small patch of brick red above the bill. Found in a wide variety of open habitats, often near water or human habitation. Similar to Red-chested and Barn Swallows, but is buff rather than brick red on the throat. Also similar to Wire-tailed Swallow, but doesn’t have a complete red cap, and has much shorter tail streamers. 

Small gray swift with a pale gray rump and belly that are marked with black streaks. With a very good view, tiny spines on the tail can be seen. Seen in flight over all habitats on the islands of Sao Tome and Principe. The call is a high-pitched “sip.” Similar in size and shape to Little Swift, but separated by the pale belly and grayish rather than bright white rump. Also similar in size to African Palm Swift, but has a much shorter square tail and a pale belly and rump.