Red-headed Fody

A medium-sized greenbul often found in flocks in forest and forest edge with other bearded-greenbuls. Like all bearded-greenbuls, will sometimes puff out throat feathers. Often forages actively along trunks and large branches. Shows a grayish head, a bright white throat, yellow-green underparts, and olive-green upperparts with a reddish tail. Nearly identical to Red-tailed Greenbul, and can occur with it in the same mixed-species flocks in Central Africa. Not all individuals can be safely identified. Listen for White-bearded Greenbul’s distinctive calls as it forages on large branches and trunks, and look for its duller red tail and, at close range, its thinner, smaller bill and more slender build. A vocal species, frequently giving “hut-TYER-CHUR!” or similar short, gruff calls. 

A tiny, rotund flycatcher found singly in the understory of montane forest from Panama to Peru. Very nondescript plumage: darker olive above with a dull tawny breast and yellowish belly. Looks uniformly brownish in bad light. Usually stays low, where it perches quietly and sallies out to glean insects. Often detected by its snapping sounds and whirring wingbeats. Occurs from around 700–2,000 m, typically lower than Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant but some elevation overlap.

A graceful aerial feeder found over a wide variety of open habitats, especially near water, including marshes and towns. Often chooses exposed perches including power and telephone lines in villages. Commonly found in flocks of up to twenty birds, sometimes mixing with other swallows and martins. The adult male is entirely glossy purple-blue and is inseparable in the field from male Purple Martins. The male Caribbean Martin can be distinguished by its bright white belly. Female and immature Cuban Martins resemble females and immatures of both Purple and Caribbean Martin. Purple Martin in such plumages can be identified by a scaly breast pattern and often fine streaks on the belly, which is lacking on female and immature Cuban Martins. Female Cuban Martins are probably not safely separable from Caribbean Martin, though on average the Cuban Martin has more restricted brown on chest. Note that Caribbean and Purple Martins are not present in this species’ range from March to September, which can help eliminate confusing species. Calls include a harsh “churr,” a buzzy “zwick-zwick,” and a musical buzzy burbling.