Great Antpitta

Tiny dark gray bird with a short tail; looks like an ashy ping pong ball with legs. Distinguished from similar tapaculos by unmarked chestnut rump and flanks, as well as by voice. Locally distributed in humid mossy Polylepis forest with boulders, where it forages singly or in pairs on and near the ground. Its song is a series of froggy notes, “keerp, keerp, keerp,” given at a steady pace of about two notes per second.

Medium-sized, gray bird of tepui highlands. Male is unmistakable with pink collar and undertail coverts; female lacks pink collar. Generally occurs above 800 meters on tepui slopes, where it is an uncommon resident of the mid-story and canopy of tall forest; moves sluggishly and can be difficult to detect when not vocalizing. Feeds mainly on fruit, and is usually encountered alone but may associate with other species at fruiting trees. Most common vocalization is a single sharp rising whistled note, which may be lengthened and slurred downward, given at fairly long intervals. Size, shape and behavior recall Screaming Piha, which does not occur in tepui highlands.

Medium-sized sandpiper with distinct cap. Breeding adults are heavily marked with chevrons and spots on the underparts and have a rich chestnut cap and white eyeing. Nonbreeding adults are duller grayish-brown with a drab brown cap. Juveniles are brightest, with a plain buffy breast, bright cap, and contrasting white eyeline. At all ages, note dull greenish legs and variable paler color at the base of the bill. Similar to Pectoral Sandpiper, but Sharp-tailed is usually brighter (breeding adults and juveniles especially) and lacks a sharp demarcation between streaked breast and white belly. Primarily an Asian species, breeding on tundra in Russia and wintering to Australia and New Zealand. Regular migrant in Alaska; rare to Pacific coast of U.S. and Canada. Found in freshwater marshes and coastal mudflats, sometimes inland. Listen for excited “peep!” calls, often doubled, and other soft twitters.