Banded Kestrel

Chunky, short-tailed antbird of humid lowlands. Both sexes have a prominent red eye. Males are black with a small patch of bare blue skin behind the eye; females are rufous with a paler white throat and gray face. Found in a variety of habitats with dense undergrowth, including bamboo groves, forest edges, and dense understory of mature rainforest. Listen for its distinctive song, a rapid whistled series of “hee-er” notes.

A small, slim, fairly long-tailed buzzard. Gray and brown on the upperparts and rufous on the underparts. The white throat has a black line down the center. In flight, reveals distinctive rufous patches on the tops of the wings, with mostly white underwings. Found in a variety of savanna and grassland habitats. A migratory species that is often found in flocks, especially near fires. Best told from other buzzards by its structure, and in flight by its rufous wing panels. The call is a series of “ki” notes.

Breeding males are mostly black with a long tail. There is a large yellow-and-buff patch on the shoulder. Females and non-breeding males are streaky and brown, though males retain their colorful shoulder. Found locally in montane marsh, heath, and grassland. Vocalizations include low rasps and twittering and sizzling calls. Male separated from Marsh Widowbird by its more extensive buff shoulder patch. Female can be confused with several other species, but is usually identified by association with buff-shouldered males.