Crimson-breasted Finch

An active little bird that inhabits reeds and tall grasses in low-lying wetlands. Flicks its tail often to reveal white feathers with black edges and tips. The male has a black hood with a neat border along the collar, white underparts, and a red patch on the breast. Its back is black in the breeding season and brown with streaks in the nonbreeding season. The female is grayish-brown with an indistinct supercilium and a white throat. Both sexes similar to Common Stonechat, but female White-tailed Stonechat is paler, while the male appears whiter below and shows the white in the tail when flicked or in flight.

Small antbird. Males are streaked black above, with a yellow-tinged throat and rusty flanks. Females are similar but with brownish streaks above. Inhabits the understory of both non-flooded and seasonally flooded forests, and regularly attends army-ant swarms. The song is a descending series of whistles that ends with a harsh note: “tew, tew-tzew-tzew-tur paw, paw.”  The similar Guianan Warbling-Antbird has a white throat and is more streaked on the breast; the song also has a different pace. The Peruvian Warbling-Antbird has more black on the throat and breast and is less yellow below.

An attractive, fairly long-tailed antwren found from eastern Venezuela and Guyana to southeastern Brazil. Males are grayish-brown above and black below with a white eyebrow and white sides. Also note bold white spots on wings and tail. Females are bright tawny below, with bold white wing spots and an indistinct white eyebrow. Look for pairs foraging in the lower levels of dense shrubby woodland, often remaining fairly hidden and difficult to see clearly. Typically occurs in the lowlands up to around 1,000 m. Listen for series of rather musical clucking notes.