Santa Marta Screech-Owl

A sleek forest bird that sometimes ventures into gardens and parks in search of flowers and fruit; prefers areas with palms. The adult is distinctive—clothed in black except for patches of yellow on lower belly, shoulders, and rump. No similar species occur within its range. Immatures are muddled yellow, orange, and olive, developing adult plumage over the course of a year. This plumage resembles that of female and young Baltimore Orioles, a scarce migrant and winter visitor to Hispaniola. Similarly attired Baltimore Orioles can be distinguished by their orange underparts and white wingbars. The song is a rapid jumble of squeaky and metallic notes. Calls include a buzzy “jrrrt” and a metallic “zhwee.”

Small hummingbird with a rather large range across northeastern South America and eastern Panama. Male is unmistakable with a golden throat, a ruby-red crown, and an orange tail with dark tips. Female is trickier to identify, but note the pale gray underparts, white-tipped tail feathers, and dull grayish green upperparts. The short and slightly decurved bill should also help identify the female. Fairly common in open habitats, including savannah, forest edge, and gardens.

Plain and unremarkable babbler; warm rusty-brown with a dark gray face and a streaked crown. Pale eye stands out against the dark face and gives the bird a somewhat crazed appearance. Shy and difficult to see as it forages in dense tangles and undergrowth. Habitat varies within range; most common in lowlands on the mainland, and in foothill and lower montane forest on Borneo and Sumatra. Song variable but consistently high and whistled, often with an ascending quality. Calls include a long, uniform rolling chatter and harsh scolding.