Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher

Medium-sized sandpiper with long legs and bill. Shaped like a tall, stretched-out Dunlin. Breeding plumage is striking with extensive messy black-and-white barring, white eyebrow, and orange cheek. Nonbreeding is plain pale gray with contrasting white eyebrow. Juveniles usually show pale buffy tones on the head and neck and have an attractive scaly pattern on the upperparts. At all ages, note long, slightly droopy bill and dull yellowish-green legs. In flight, look for pale tail and white rump. Breeds on Arctic tundra in Canada and Alaska. Common migrant through central North America; uncommon to rare on both coasts. During migration and winter, found in shallow wetlands, including marshes, flooded fields, and muddy ponds. Usually wades in the water while feeding, often mixed with yellowlegs and dowitchers.

A tall, plain gray-brown chat with upright posture that has a conspicuous eye-ring and a creamy-orange rump. Inner to outer tail feathers have progressively more creamy-orange coloration at the bases, resulting in a black triangle on the tail. Singles and pairs occupy open rangelands, pastures and alpine scrub, where they forage on the ground and from low perches. It flicks its wings, but less habitually than the similar Familiar Chat, which has shorter legs, a less obvious eye-ring, a rufous rump, and a tail with an inverted black “T” pattern.

Medium-sized ovenbird with a long spiky tail. Cinnamon-brown above, paler below, with a darker cap and wings. Note the freckled breast and yellow eyes. Usually found near water, in marshes, gallery forests, and scrub, where it forages on the ground or in the understory. Builds large thorny nests that do not hang from trees, unlike other thornbirds.