Red-faced Crombec

This strikingly beautiful sparrow is found in wet meadows with tall grass. Look for the bright orange-buff face with a silvery cheek, spotted purplish-gray nape, and crisp black streaking on buffy underparts. Secretive; difficult to see well unless a male is perched up singing. Most similar to Nelson's Sparrow but typically found in slightly drier habitats; also note white stripe down center of crown on LeConte's. Sings a dry, hissing trill with sharp introductory notes.

Small flycatcher of pine-oak forest and edge in highlands; often in clearings and orchards with small deciduous trees (often not in pines). Other Empidonax flycatchers occur alongside Pine Flycatcher, especially very similar Dusky and Hammond’s Flycatchers, which are winter migrants. On Pine, note the bright pale teardrop-shaped eyering similar to Hammond’s and an entirely pale orangish underside to the bill (like Cordilleran Flycatcher, which is greener and has a broader bill ). Call is a rather quiet “pwip,” somewhat similar to Dusky but very distinct from Hammond’s.

Attractive petrel with a black mask, largely gray above and white below, with a diagnostic dark breast band. Note the heavy dark bill. In flight, exhibits gray underwings and gray and dark brown M-pattern on the back. The rare dark morph has dark underparts, but still retains the distinctive complete breast band, which is the most useful mark separating this species from Fea’s and Zino’s Petrels.  Usually encountered well offshore, in towering roller-coaster flights; sometimes follows boats.