Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer

Rusty edges to feathers and pale eyebrow in winter contrast with blackish feather bases. Breeding males are glossy black. Shorter tail than Common Grackle. Thinner bill than Red-winged Blackbird. Found in wooded swamps. Often in flocks; frequently mixes with Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackle in winter. Look for flocks perched at tops of trees bordering marshes and listen for their calls to help pick them out from large flocks of blackbirds.

Uncommon and unobtrusive in lowland and foothill forests. Unremarkable yet distinctive in its appearance: olive brown above and pale below with a bicolored bill, somewhat resembling a large-bodied, small-headed sparrow in structure if not in size. Male has yellow edges on the wings and a blood-red eye; female lacks these yellow areas and has a duller brownish eye. Gives a nasal “nyeh!” as well as an odd, low grating trill. Forages at beehives, consuming beeswax like its more well-known relatives.

A heavily built black-and-white bushshrike. The upperparts are cleanly black and the underparts are white with a pinkish tinge. Uses habitats with a dense understory, including riparian thickets, coastal scrub, forest, and gardens. Found in pairs, which usually skulk but sometimes hop about in the open. Similar to Tropical Boubou, but barely overlaps in range and lacks a white shoulder patch. Also similar to the smaller Black-backed Puffback, but separated by the lack of white on the upperparts. Has a diverse range of vocalizations, including a hollow rising whistle, up-and-down “laser gun” notes, rasps, and croaks, often delivered in a duet by a pair.