Golden-crowned Tanager

Reclusive and rarely seen owl of cane fields, meadows, and other areas with tall grassy cover. Tan-brown overall with black, white, and orange mottling on the wings. Flies low over grassy areas, primarily during dawn and dusk, often with long legs dangling. Heart-shaped facial disk, very similar to Barn Owl and Masked Owls. Nests in dense fields; fluffy owlets often exposed during harvesting season in agricultural areas.

Large, black-and-white puffbird with a brown breast patch. In addition to its brown band, note the lack of a white eyebrow, present in other black-and-white puffbirds. Found mainly in forests with sandy or rocky soil, often with stunted vegetation. In some parts of its range, it is also found in mature upland rainforest. Its song is a long, rising series of whistles, followed by a slowly descending series of stuttered whistles “wi wi woo, wi wi woo, …”.

Rare and endangered hummingbird found in the Andes of southwestern Colombia. Accessing its tiny known range is difficult, and only a few intrepid and lucky birders have seen one. Male looks quite dark, but has a glittering blue throat bordered on both sides by iridescent green as well as white leg puffs and a blue vent. Female is mostly green with a buffy tinge to the underparts, faint whisker marks, and smaller leg puffs; she is similar to female Glowing Puffleg, but typically has a fainter throat patch and less buff on the neck. Inhabits stunted cloud forest at high elevations.