White-breasted Nigrita

Large, stocky bunting with a long tail. Rusty-red head and yellow body easily identify the breeding male; non-breeding male has restricted red on the head and a streaky brown back. Female and juvenile are pale brown with streaked back and wings; these plumages can be nearly impossible to separate from Black-headed Bunting. Look out for Red-headed’s less extensive crown streaking, less “compact” appearance (longer-billed and longer-tailed), less yellow underparts, and colder back coloration. Breeds in open dry spaces with scattered bushes; winters in agricultural fields. Song starts out with a few dry, rasping notes, then turns into a more fluid-sounding jumble.

Large, chicken-like bird of humid lowland and foothill forest in western Ecuador and western Colombia. Brown with a gray head, yellow bill, and pink legs. Similar to Gray-cowled Wood-Rail but gray restricted to head. This rare and threatened species prefers swampy areas such as stream edges and mangroves, and is typically encountered in pairs. Shy and very hard to see. Usually first detected by it song, a very long, rollicking series of notes, often given by both members of the pair.

A beautiful minivet inhabiting open, dry scrub and savanna with scattered acacia (Prosopis) growth. The male has a glossy black upper body, face, and neck. The breast region has a round orange patch, with the rest of the underparts white. The tail is black, with an orange rump and white markings on the wings. The plumage of the male of this bird is reminiscent of breeding male stonechats. The female is duller in appearance, with dark gray upperparts, black wings, a black tail, and dark black lores. The wings have white markings similar to the males’, and the rump is orange. The species usually moves in small groups, feeding mainly on insects.