Blue-and-white Kingfisher

Small, pale brown, heavily-streaked cisticola. Plumage is darker in breeding plumage, washed-out in non-breeding plumage. Found in dry, open grasslands, including open stretches within savanna. Song is a mix of high-pitched peeps, scratchy lower notes, and “tic” notes. Extremely similar to Zitting Cisticola. Best distinguished by song, though subtle plumage differences include Desert’s more uniformly blackish tail and slightly streaked rufous rump.

A medium-sized, dark nightjar of tepui highlands, difficult to identify by plumage alone. Cryptically patterned with dark brown and gray accented with buffy and whitish bars and spots. Male has a white band in the wing, which the female lacks. Uncommon, found in humid forest and edges, as well as humid scrub close to forested areas. Distinctive voice is a hoarse whistle “whoEEuuu”, given repeatedly. Larger than the similar Band-winged Nightjar, and smaller than Blackish Nightjar, but best identified by voice and habitat.

Easily overlooked, warblerlike bird of tropical forest in lowlands and foothills of west Mexico and extreme western Guatemala. Hops around, mainly at low levels in tangled understory, often fanning and waving around its rather long, white-edged tail. Male is striking, with red breast and bold black-and-white head pattern. Female-plumaged birds are seen more often and can be puzzling, but note buffy face and breast with a dark beady eye, mostly grayish upperparts, and white-edged tail.