Tundra Bean-Goose

Drab medium-gray tanager with lemon-yellow rump. Also look for fluffy white patch at the side of the breast, just under the bend of the wing. Fairly thick bill. Sexes alike. Usually seen in the forest canopy with mixed-species flocks, often in pairs.

Striking medium-sized woodpecker of far western North America. Beautiful plumage with mostly red head and breast and bold white slash on the shoulder. Some show vague pattern of black-and-white on the head, but always more extensive red than Red-naped Sapsucker. Also note limited white mottling on back, and no black on the breast. Juveniles are dark brown on the head and breast. Beware that some hybrids with Red-naped occur, and might be best left unidentified. Breeds in coniferous and mixed forests, descending to lower elevations in winter, as far south as northern Baja. Like other sapsuckers, drills rows of sap wells into tree bark. Listen for irregular drumming (like morse code) and various nasal calls.

Medium-sized gray bird (small for a cuckooshrike) with considerable geographic variation. Male averages darkest on the wings, throat, and breast, contrasting more heavily with the rest of the plumage than in the fairly uniform-looking male Indochinese Cuckooshrike. Female is pale gray with fine barring on the underparts. Undertail is black with white-tipped feathers concentrated at the end of the tail; does not appear as evenly graduated as in the larger Black-winged Cuckooshrike, and is less extensively white-tailed than Indochinese Cuckooshrike. Forages in the upper levels of forests and forest edge in lowland and hilly areas, often as part of mixed-species flocks. Song begins with a few clear tinkling notes, then transitions into a loud, insistent “jeh, jeh, jeh, jeh”.