Spot-breasted Oriole

Large black-and-gray flycatcher with a long, forked tail. Forages in the canopy at the edge of montane forests and second growth. It has a gray body with a slightly dusky mask and dark wings and tail. Usually silent, but occasionally delivers low “puupi-puupi” notes.

Large and chunky with stout dark bill. Nondescript plumage: entirely olive-green with slightly brighter yellowish throat and upper breast. Sexes alike. Compare with female Red-throated Ant-Tanager, which is somewhat more slender and longer-tailed, has a more contrasting pale throat, and paler legs. Found in lowlands and foothills, where small flocks move through lower and middle levels of humid forests. Often in mixed feeding flocks with other species. Occurs from eastern Honduras to extreme northwestern Colombia. Listen for its loud, fast, long-winded song of whistles and chips, along with grating squeaky scold calls.

A secretive raptor of wooded habitats including mangrove swamps. Though this species sometime soars, its flight is usually powered by several rapid flaps followed by a brief glide. In flight, note the long rounded tail, short rounded wings, and a large head that protrudes well in front of the wings. Adults are barred orange below while immatures are streaked brown. The similar Sharp-shinned Hawk is somewhat smaller in body and head and has a shorter, squared-off tail. Migrant Sharp-Shinned Hawks from North America are scarce within this species’ range, and are best told by structure and size. Resident Sharp-shinned Hawks, which share this species’ range are conveniently barred gray below. Immature Sharp-shinned Hawks can also be distinguished from Gundlach’s by their narrow, but distinct white eyebrow. The Broad-winged Hawk is somewhat similar, but it is much shorter tailed and somewhat longer winged. The common call is an emphatic “eh-eh-eh-eh-eh…,” with the first couple notes quieter than rest.