Pale Martin

Small, short-tailed bird found in lowland and foothill rainforest. Male is easy to identify with his glossy black body and azure crown. Female is mostly lime green with a yellowish belly; her plumage is much greener than other similar species such as Choco Manakin and female Red-capped Manakin. Most common call is a short, ringing trill. Male’s display song is a buzzy “purwit!”. Usually seen at lower to middle levels in the forest, plucking berries from fruiting trees. Formerly called Blue-crowned Manakin before that species was split. Velvety Manakin’s range includes Costa Rica, Panama, western Colombia, and northwestern Ecuador.

Small dainty gull. Dark-eyed and long-winged with a rounded head. Breeding adults are white-headed with a variable smudgy ring on the bill; non-breeding adults have light brown markings on the head. Younger birds are brownish, with black-tipped pink bills. Occurs throughout much of Eurasia. Breeds in wetlands, meadows, and beaches; winters in waterside habitats and fields, especially near the coast. Does not frequent large urban centers as much as some other gulls.

This behemoth is unmistakable solely due to its massive size, much larger than any other raptor or vulture. Adults are black with a white stripe on the underwing and an orange head. Wingtips are splayed into conspicuous fingertips. Young birds are duller with a gray head and only slightly paler stripe on the underwing. Found in very small numbers in coastal hills and mountains of California and around the Grand Canyon. Usually seen soaring singly or in pairs. Critically endangered; only recently has this species started breeding successfully again in the wild.