White-capped Redstart

Rather large, overall bright green hummingbird of highlands. Favors pine-oak forest and edge, especially overgrown clearings and roadsides with dense flower banks. Fairly common and is especially conspicuous when singing. Song is a jerky, metallic, chipping song given tirelessly from an exposed twig at middle to upper levels in trees. When feeding often stays fairly well hidden within flowers. Note overall deep green plumage with dark violet cheek and breast patches, and broad dark tail band.

Medium-sized sandgrouse, smaller than Spotted Sandgrouse. Rather compact build, lacking any long projecting tail feathers. Males have a distinctive black forehead and chin. Females are heavily patterned all over. Both sexes have an orange throat and a grayish crown and nape. In flight, shows a strongly contrasting two-toned underwing pattern. Flight call is a rather dry, nasal mumble, “hu-het hu-het.” Breeds on stony plains and hills in the harsh desert. Congregates at drinking spots in the morning.

Medium-sized blackbird found locally in habitats with wet grass. Shiny black, with a white or light yellow eye and sharply pointed black bill. Giant Cowbird occasionally has a pale eye and may appear similar, but is much larger than Pale-eyed Blackbird; told apart from the similar Velvet-fronted Grackle by its pale eyes, longer, more pointed bill, and shorter tail. Found in wet grasslands and grassy margins of oxbow lakes, where it forages singly, in pairs, or in small groups.