Sulawesi Crow

Beautiful black-helmeted sparrow of forest understory. Contrasting black head, bright yellow bill, white throat and underparts, light gray mantle, yellow-green back and rump, gray wings and tail, and golden shoulders. Female has duller bill and buff-tinged underparts. Found alone or in pairs foraging in the understory of dry to humid forest and scrubby second growth. Vocalization is a high pitched “zeut, zeut, zeee.” The only totally black headed sparrow in its range. Found only in Colombia and Venezuela.

Chunky, dark brown quail of cloud forest and elfin forest. Dark brown body is spotted white below; black bandit mask and reddish crown are distinctive. May be found singly, in pairs, or in small groups. Quite secretive, and often goes undetected until flushed suddenly from nearly underfoot. Forages on the ground, climbing over mossy tree roots and scraping aside leaves with its feet to look for small prey. Listen for its low caroling song given at dusk, an often duetted “dwee-put, dwee-put….”

Large-headed nightjar with a bright white throat. Male shows bright white patches near the wingtips and on the edges of the tail that are buffy-brown in females. Large-tailed Nightjar is very similar; in Jerdon’s, look for less-streaked crown and smaller wing patches. Indian Nightjar is smaller and much more intricately patterned, lacking the white throat. Song is a strange bubbling “bwr-wr-wr,” usually heard at dusk or dawn in wooded areas.