Band-tailed Sierra Finch

Brilliantly-colored hummingbird with dark tail and mostly red bill. Primarily a Mexican species, but occurs locally in the southwestern U.S. Can appear all dark at a distance, but in the right light, look for beautiful iridescent blues and greens on male's body. Females are less colorful than males, dusky grayish below with prominent white stripe behind the eye. Compare especially with female White-eared Hummingbird, which is more spotted below and has a broader white eyestripe and darker cheek. Occurs in scrubby riparian woodland, canyons, and thorn forest. Often visits hummingbird feeders.

Slightly smaller version of the familiar cartoon Greater Roadrunner, but usually the two species do not occur in the same places. Favors dry brushy woodland and overgrown weedy fields in tropical lowlands and foothills. Can be very elusive, but at other times runs out in the road or sits quietly sunning itself on a fence post or bush top in the early morning. Note that the center of the throat and breast are plain rich buffy, without the dense dark streaking of Greater Roadrunner.

A colorful dove. Males have a bright silver head and chest, green wings, and a bright orange belly and undertail. Females are more uniformly green, with a yellow undertail and a grayish cast to the face. In flight, wings appear strongly blue. Occurs alongside Yellow-bibbed and White-headed Fruit-Doves, but male Silver-capped almost impossible to misidentify. Female is more similar to the other species, but gray face, dark beady eye, and silverish throat are diagnostic. Gives a typical dove-like bouncing, cooing call likened to laughter.