Bridled Sparrow

A small, very dark brown shorebird with a very short thin bill and a distinct white eyebrow. Upperparts spotted with buff, underside spotted or barred with brown. Legs yellow or grayish. In flight, looks very dark with very rounded wings. Prefers coastal shoreline and bare gravel of tiny atolls. Combination of odd proportions, very short thin bill, and white eyebrow should make this species unmistakable. Most common call is a nasal “kek,” but when excited gives a loud piping whistle and a series of rising and falling trills.

Small, warbler-like flycatcher found in cloud forest along the east slope of the Andes in Ecuador, northern Peru, and southern Colombia. Plumage is yellow-olive with a gray crown, yellowish wingbars, white eyebrow, and black stripe through the eye. Facial pattern is not well-defined, imparting a “messy” look. Also note thin, black bill. Forages actively in the forest canopy, frequently giving a dry, sputtering trill, and is almost always encountered with mixed-species flocks.

A striking finch with a heavy silvery bill, a dark coppery hood, a brilliant white underside, and chestnut upperparts. Juveniles duller, with paler head and browner upperparts. Found in groups, sometimes with other finches, on or near the ground in open country, including croplands, grasslands, scrub, forest clearings, and very lightly wooded areas, in lowlands and foothills. Confined to the Lesser Sundas. On juvenile, note heavier bill and darker head than Pale-headed Munia. Gives weak, high-pitched “wi-wi-wi” calls and louder “tririp” notes.