East Brazilian Chachalaca

Beefy, big-headed, large-billed bunting. Male is deep cobalt blue with rufous wingbars. Females are warm brown with rufous or buffy wingbars. Always look for enormous bill to separate from other buntings; also note unstreaked underparts and slightly longer tail. Swishes tail like other buntings. Fairly common in overgrown fields with hedgerows and bushes. Breeds mostly in the southern half of the U.S. and northern Mexico; winters throughout Central America. Often gathers in flocks in the winter.

A glossy-black starling with a big permanently raised crest that gives it a unique, broad-headed profile. Also note prominent whitish markings on sides of neck and breast, which appear like one large patch. Juvenile shorter-crested, with a brown chin and a bicolored bill. Frequents the canopy of lowland and hill forest in small groups or pairs, preferring pristine areas, but straying into edges and degraded patches too. Complex song involves whirring “weee-ow-weee-ow” mixed with “chur” and “chip” notes. Also gives a single, strident metallic “chip” call.

A small seed-eating species of forest edges, open woodlands, and nearby weedy areas; usually found in groups of two to five birds. Both sexes have bright yellow-green shoulders and a buff vent, which are diagnostic but can be difficult to see. Otherwise, the Black-faced Grassquit is rather similar, but can be distinguished by its slimmer bill and duller back. Furthermore, male Yellow-shouldered Grassquits have an entirely black head, whereas black is limited to the face on the Black-faced Grassquit. The song is a series of four or five high-pitched buzzy notes that either rising or dropping in pitch, followed by one to three notes at another different pitch.