Eastern Parotia

Fairly common but easily overlooked in lowlands and foothills of central Chile. Found in matorral, scrub and adjacent semiopen areas with bushes. Presence can be revealed by bulky stick nests placed in bushes. Fairly skulking, keeping mainly to bushes and other cover, but also runs well on the ground, tail held cocked; often in pairs. Plumage relatively distinctive with whitish eyebrow, buffy to cinnamon flanks, and dark tail. Northern desert populations are paler and grayer overall while southern populations in humid areas are darker overall.

Uncommon, large, and spectacular bird of lowland tropical forest, mainly in wilder areas and not around human habitation. Most often seen soaring overhead in mid-late morning, often fairly high up with kettles of Black Vultures; rarely seen perched. Striking adult has a colorful head and neck, piercing white eyes, and mostly white plumage with a black trailing edge to the wings and tail. Immature is blackish overall and lacks the white wing markings of the smaller Black Vulture. Immature develops adult plumage over a few years with white appearing first on the belly and the underside of the wings.

A large, spectacular, slender, carmine-pink-and-teal-blue bee-eater with a long pointed tail, black bill, and black facial mask. The immature is duller and shorter-tailed. It gathers in large groups that often attend bush fires, and it specializes in catching large flying insects, including dragonflies, butterflies, and locusts. Breeds colonially by burrowing into sandbanks. It has a complex three-stage migration; it generally breeds between 13–20°S from August–September, disperses south of the breeding area December–March, and then moves north of the breeding area April–August. “Trik-trik-trik” calls are more guttural than those of European Bee-eater. Similar Northern Carmine Bee-eater has a teal-colored (not carmine) chin and throat.