Chestnut-faced Babbler

Small, inconspicuous bird of coastal swamps and seasonally inundated forests. Yellow crown is essentially impossible to see under most viewing conditions; note dull overall appearance, indistinct wing bars, and longish tail. Inhabits upper levels of tall forest; also occurs in abandoned plantations and other disturbed habitats, where it may be found closer to the ground. Feeds on insects and fruit. Most similar to Greenish Elaenia but has more prominent wing bars; Forest Elaenia is more clean-cut, with a stronger facial pattern and white crown patch. Explosive song is a decelerating cackle; it is distinctive once learned and usually the most reliable indicator of this species’s presence.

The only munia in its range with white on the lower back and rump. It has a blackish-brown head and back with pure white underparts and rump. Its back is finely streaked with pale shafts. Juvenile is rufous-brown with indistinct streaks above, rump buffy gray, breast light rufous, and underparts buffy gray. Races differ in the amount of white-and-gray streaking on the underparts and the extent of the blackish-brown on the head. Found in a variety of open landscapes including grasslands, shrubby open country, forest edges, thickets, plantations, village gardens, agricultural fields, and sometimes towns and cities.

Rare and endangered parakeet endemic to foothill cloud forest in southwestern Ecuador. It is mostly green with red on forehead, shoulder, and undertail. Flight feathers are blue, which is usually only evident in flight. Also note the whitish eyering and rather long tail. Usually encountered in small flocks that fly from tree to tree, screeching as they go. Most of the known population is found in and around the Buenaventura Reserve, where the birds are successfully using artificial nest boxes.