Monk Parakeet

Fairly large songbird with round body, long legs, and longish tail. Gray above with warm orange underparts and blackish head. Hops across lawns and stands erect with its bill often tilted upward. In fall and winter, forms large flocks and gathers in trees to roost or eat berries. Common across North America in gardens, parks, yards, golf courses, fields, pastures, and many other wooded habitats.

Large, short-billed hummingbird found only at extremely high elevations in Colombia’s central Andes. Adult male’s green and blue beard, black and buff head pattern, and shaggy crest make him easily recognizable within his tiny world range. Female and younger males lack the crest and beard and have more subdued coloration, but they are still recognizable from their large size and relatively tiny bill. Often seen feeding from or perching on Espeletia plants. Espeletia, also known as Frailejón, is native to high Andean grasslands; it is characterized by its short, trunk-like stem, large, elongated leaves, and small, yellow flowers.

A wetland weaver with a narrow bill, dull olive upperparts, and yellow-orange underparts. Male has a dark hood that tapers to a “V” on the throat, surrounded by an orange wash, while female lacks the black hood and has a yellow forehead and olive crown. A localized resident that is fairly common but can be secretive in palm swamp, mangroves, and savanna fringes near the coast. Found in pairs and small groups. Song is a typical varied, jumbled weaver song, often ending with “chuka-chuka-chak.” The similar Slender-billed Weaver is smaller than Loango Weaver and has brighter underparts.