Red-fronted Antpecker

Antshrikes have large, flat heads and large, hooked bills; they often angle their tails downward, below the line of the body. Male Black-hooded is mostly black with a slightly paler belly; note small white spots on the shoulder. The female is paler gray overall with whitish streaking on the head and breast. Most often seen in pairs in the understory of forest and edges. Follows mixed flocks. Listen for accelerating chuckle with a longer raspy note at the end.

A mid-sized, green-backed woodpecker. Males have a red crown and moustache; females have a white-streaked black forecrown, a red hindcrown, and a white-spotted black moustache. Varies geographically; in most of the range, the underparts are plain buff with some fine speckling, but in the eastern part of the range, the underparts are white with bold spotting. Found in savanna habitats, including broadleaf Guinea savanna and dry thorn savanna. Usually in pairs, which give a series of “kreek” notes in a loud duet. Very similar to Nubian Woodpecker in the narrow zone where their ranges meet, but Fine-spotted is distinguished by having a less streaked face and less heavily marked underparts. Similar overall to Golden-tailed Woodpecker, but has spotted rather than streaked underparts.

Pale, medium-sized gull, smaller and daintier than Glaucous or Herring Gulls. Often looks cute with rounded head and small bill. Extremely variable plumage. Variation is apparently clinal across the Arctic breeding range, from darkest in the west to palest in the east. The palest adults have very pale gray backs and nearly pure white wingtips. The darkest birds, formerly known as Thayer’s Gull, are darker gray above and have blackish wingtips. Young birds range from almost pure white to medium brown, never as dark as Herring Gull. First-year birds usually have a mostly dark bill. Winters along both coasts of North America and in Europe, often near the ocean or on large lakes. Typically found in small numbers among flocks of other large gulls.