Dimorphic Fantail

A pretty wheatear of arid zones. Its long bill and elongated tail and wings give it an elegant silhouette. Diagnostically, in all plumages lacks a black terminal tail band, a feature shared only with the very black White-crowned Wheatear. The male has a crisp white cap and an extensive black throat extending down to the breast. Females are pale sandy-brown overall. Song is a complex mix of chats and whistles. Breeds in rocky desert mountains, canyons, and plains. Generally a resident, but in winter may move locally to desert valleys.

Very small, all-dark storm-petrel with a fairly short, graduated tail. Fairly common and can be seen from shore in the Gulf of California and along the Pacific coast. Often feeds and associates with the much larger Black Storm-Petrel, where size difference is obvious. Flight of Least is generally quick and weaving, with deep, rather jerky wingbeats and little or no gliding.

A large, boldly-marked, crested eagle with a long tail and broad wings, resembling a massive goshawk. The underparts of the adult are blotched and barred black-and-white; there is also a variable rufous wash across the breast. The pale immature has creamy-tan underwings. It is resident in thicker woodland and lowland, montane, and riverine forest, where it hunts monkeys and other small-to-medium-sized vertebrates. It has an undulating display flight coupled with a loud “wheee-yooo, wheee-yooo, wheee-yooo” call that often draws attention. Juvenile Crowned and Martial eagles are similar, but the Crowned has buffier underparts (and underwings), spotted flanks, and broader bars on the tail.