Rufous-bellied Nighthawk

Attractive dusty-blue jay; essentially looks like a washed-out scrub-jay. Found in pine-oak woodlands in mountains and canyons from Arizona to central Mexico. Eastern populations (occurring in the Big Bend region of Texas and south into Mexico) average darker and more contrasty, more similar to Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay. Look especially for plainer face on Mexican Jay. Typically found in flocks, sometimes up to a dozen or more individuals. Feeds primarily on acorns.

An easily overlooked finch that can sit unnoticed low in the shadows of forest, forest edge, and farmlands. Bicolored in appearance, with dark reddish underparts and face and a gray crown, back, wings, and tail. Sometimes encountered in small groups or mixed-species flocks, and will venture into the canopy. Co-occurs with and sometimes flocks with other species of nigrita, but distinguished from them by its dark reddish undersides combined with its small size. Song is variable, sometimes consisting of four wavering whistles that rise and then fall on the last note: “where are you, there?” Also gives a rising and falling “twee-teer” in combinations of varying length, in addition to harsh chattering notes. 

Well-named wren found only in stunted cloud forest in the eastern Andes of northern Peru and border regions of southeastern Ecuador. Small, with a short tail and a striped face. Very similar to Gray-breasted Wood-Wren, but has distinct wingbars and a richer, slightly lower-pitched song. Both species occur almost side-by-side at some locations. Usually encountered in pairs that hop and flit around in the forest understory.