Plain White-eye

This chickenlike bird is bright rufous on the face and underparts and dark brown above. Look for the black throat with a contrasting white collar (lacking in southernmost population). Also note slight crest, stout bill, and some bare gray skin around the eye. Uncommon in western Colombia and Ecuador, where it is found in lowland and foothill forest. Shy and difficult to see; stays in small groups on the forest floor and rarely comes out in the open. Listen for rollicking whistled song, similar to other wood-quails.

Stunning dark blue bird with a huge bill. Male is mostly deep cobalt with paler highlights on the shoulder and eyebrow and a darker patch around the eye. Female is rich reddish-brown overall. Found singly or in pairs in scrubby wooded habitats, often near water. Can be skulky, preferring to forage in dense thickets. Occurs mostly in southeastern South America, with disjunct populations in Venezuela and Colombia. Compare with Blue-black Grosbeak, which doesn’t overlap much in range and is typically found in heavier forest.

A fairly small to medium-sized bird of montane forest and edge on Mindanao. Bright cinnamon on the crown and back with darker wings and tail, a pale orange throat, chest, and sides, and white on the belly and under the base of the tail. Note the red eye and the silver-gray legs and bill. Often found in mixed-species flocks. No similar species in range. Voice is a mixture of high-pitched squeals, a sharp nasal “wik,” and a forceful, medium-pitched “piii! piuu-piuu!” with the final notes downslurred.