Genovesa Ground-Finch

A bright and attractive small warbler with many virtually identical relatives. Breeds in foothill and montane forests, where it favors areas with a dense understory. Descends into lower elevations in the winter, when it often moves around with mixed flocks. Bright green above and yellow below, with a gray-and-black-striped crown and a bright yellow eyering; note intermediately strong crown patterning and distinct yellow eyering, often weak but not broken above the eye. Song is a series of lively whistles and chirps uttered in discrete bursts.

A small to medium-sized bird of forest and scrub from lowlands to low elevations in the mountains, with a long curved bill. Has a preference for plantain flowers. Overall olive-green in color, grading to pale yellow on the belly, with golden-olive in the wing and faint streaking on the chest. Note the bare orange skin coming down from the base of the bill. Birds in the east-central part of the range have an additional naked orange patch just above the bill. Somewhat similar to Orange-tufted Spiderhunter, but Naked-faced is larger and darker below. Voice includes a rough, grating trill, “grrrrrrr!”

A rare and declining medium-sized bunting that is found only in shrubby, sandy areas between steppelands and deciduous woodlands. Both sexes have a simple yet elegant head pattern that somewhat resembles that of Meadow Bunting, but Rufous-backed Bunting is considerably paler with a gray instead of dark brown-black cheek patch. Male is warm rufous-brown above and has a unique dark patch on the belly. Females are similarly colored, but are overall a colder brown and have a spotty necklace across the breast instead of a belly patch.