Yellow-crowned Manakin

Large hummingbird of very high elevations in the Andes. Almost endemic to Ecuador but just barely reaches far southern Colombia. Spectacular male has purple hood and white underparts marked with a black belly stripe. In central Ecuador, male has a small patch of green on the throat. Females and immatures are duller, with mostly drab green and grayish plumage and a streaky throat. No overlap with Blue-throated Hillstar. Usually encountered in páramo near patches of Chuquiraga bushes, which have bright orange flowers shaped like tiny pine cones. Birds feed from and aggressively guard favored flower patches, and pollen can stain the face orange.

Distinctive, diminutive species with a very long spiky tail and a heavily streaked body. Note the rusty crown and narrow white eyebrow. Occurs at forest edges, in Araucaria forest, and in tall second growth, where it forages acrobatically by gleaning. Often accompanies mixed-species flocks.

Small tinamou of floodplain rainforest. Reddish brown with limited black barring on the wings. Found in tall lowland rainforest, especially around water and in seasonally flooded areas, and can be quite common. Listen for a series of whistles given at a pace of about one note per four seconds that gradually accelerates until about twice as fast; recalls the song of Cinereous Tinamou, but faster and usually accelerating.