Hunter's Cisticola

A plump ball on sticks. Fairly common and easily heard, but shy and rarely seen in the open. Striking plumage: bold buffy eyering, gray crown, black mustache stripe, thick black and white streaking on underparts, and buffy spots on wings. Singles or pairs are found on or near the ground in mature lowland forest from Honduras to Ecuador. Occasionally perches higher when singing. Listen for its song, a short series of plaintive whistled notes.

Bright blue-and-orange flycatcher of coastal woodlands; found in mangroves, mangrove edge, coastal scrub, and plantations. Can be common on small, forested offshore islands where other blue flycatchers are absent. Male and female are similar, but the female has lighter orange underparts and a pale patch between the eye and the base of the bill. Habitat generally serves to identify this species, but also note extent of orange underparts, pale blue patch on the forehead, short bill, and dark rump and tail. Both sexes sing, giving a short but beautiful series of fluty whistles. Calls include a fast buzzing rattle and tapping notes, comparable to rocks being struck together.

Spectacular large black eagle. Distinctive in flight, when it shows a long tail and long wings that pinch in at the base. There are white patches toward the ends of the wings and on the back. Immature is brownish on the back and streaked below but still shows white panels in the wings and the characteristic shape. Found around cliffs and other rocky terrain in mountainous areas. Call is an upslurred scream. Separated from Long-crested Eagle by different shape: lankier, with a longer tail and narrower, more pointed wings.