Gilded Flicker

Attractive but often rather local tern of southern South America. Favors shallow coastal waters, but also ranges inland locally along rivers and lakes. Often associates with other terns on beaches and at river mouths. All plumages have diagnostic white head with narrow blackish mask and reddish legs. Breeding adult has an orange bill with a black-and-yellow tip. Nonbreeding birds have a black bill with a small yellow tip. Immature birds have a black bill with little or no pale tip.

Common and often noisy and conspicuous little bird of temperate southern forests, also ranging locally into matorral with taller trees. Found in pairs or small groups, at times flocks of tens in the nonbreeding season. Moves actively through foliage from canopy to low in thickets, even on the ground in leaf litter. Thorn-tailed Rayaditos are the core species in mixed-species winter feeding flocks. Plumage distinctive, with thick golden eyebrow, whitish bib (bib buffy on Chiloé Island), striped wings, and “thorny-tipped” tail.

A fairly small bird of wooded areas on the Bay Islands. Low crest is flattened at the front and rounded at the back. Male is glossy black with a purplish-blue iridescence. Female is medium gray above, pale gray below with brownish flight feathers and a darker mask, contrasting with the pale throat. Male similar to male Shining Flycatcher, but Biak is found in forest rather than waterside thickets and is smaller and less glossy. Often found in pairs and female has gray rather than rufous upperparts. Voice, a simple up-and-down whistled song and raspy call.