Cameroon Speirops

Very local. Breeds commonly (September to March) in groves of tamarugo trees in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile; most birds then migrate north to foothills of the Andes in northern Chile and southern Peru. Active and restless, feeding low to high in flowering trees, at times in small flocks. Identified readily by pointed bill, rusty bib, and rusty eyebrow on mostly blue-gray plumage; also note rusty vent and white wing flash. Immature and female average duller than male; briefly held juvenile plumage is heavily streaked below.

Rotund, medium-sized black starling with yellow wattles on the nape, a stout, bicolored bill, and white flashes in the wing. Typically in small groups in the canopy of hill forest, and nearby gardens and woods. Note dark-based, bicolored bill, and only two wattles restricted to the nape, unlike similar Southern Hill Myna. Calls include a strident, downslurred “chewp”, given once or repeatedly, shorter in length than Southern Hill Myna. Also gives various rasping notes.

A large bird of forest interior from the lowlands to mid-mountains. Long tail, thick bill and an overall slate gray plumage with black wing edge and tail tip. Male has a black mark between the eye and bill. Similar to several gray-colored cuckooshrikes and cicadabirds but most of these have thinner bills. Boyer’s also has a stout bill, but Stout-billed is much larger. Voice, a loud, grating, nasal, 2-note “raaooo-raahhh!” with the first note falling and the second, rising then falling.