Sula Pitta

Small, long-tailed bird that tends to stay hidden. Difficult to see well unless singing, when it can perch more conspicuously. Overall pale gray-brown with rufous wings and crown. Similar to Slaty Spinetail but paler especially on the throat. Found in weedy, tangled undergrowth in fields and edges of secondary growth. Distinctive song: a harsh sneezing “achoo…achoo…achoo” repeated over and over.

The male is a beautiful and unmistakable sunbird with a pale yellow throat, an iridescent green cap and chin, a black breast band, and a chestnut belly. The color of the upperparts varies geographically, being chestnut-brown in the west and blackish-brown in the east. Females have a faint pale eyebrow and heavy streaking below. Found in lowland rainforest, gallery forest, plantations, and gardens. Female similar to female Johanna’s Sunbird, but has a shorter bill. One characteristic call is a loud “chee-uu.” The song consists of series of squeaky whistles in a simple pattern. 

Small sleek tanager with distinctive color pattern: pale sandy underparts with peachy blush on breast, black mask, powdery-blue crown, and darker blue back and wings. Sexes alike. Uncommon in second growth, edges, and gardens, where it is most often seen singly or in pairs. Occasionally follows mixed-species flocks. Found from foothills to upper subtropical zone in Andes, sometimes straying even higher. Populations in southeastern South America occur at lower elevations.