Kai Monarch

Scarce quail restricted to cloud forest in the northern half of Colombia’s eastern Andes. Adult has distinctive black and white crescents on the throat, which may be reduced or lacking in young birds. Male has chestnut underparts and white spots on the breast; female has gray underparts. Shy and not often seen, but with luck it may be encountered in small groups that walk on the forest floor. Song is like that of other wood-quails, a long and rollicking series of whistles.

Small, oblong-shaped seabird. Breeding plumage mottled brown; darkness varies, but often shows golden tint. Nonbreeding plumage dark gray above and white below, with a white face and large white wing patch. Nests in crevices in rocky scree slopes, particularly around glaciers; forages in coastal glacial outflows. Similar to Marbled and Long-billed Murrelets, but with shorter bill and white outer tail feathers; breeding birds average paler with speckled back, while nonbreeders show white on face extending above the eye.

Fairly common in southern South America, from bogs and streams in the Andes to beaches, lakeshores, and pastures; usually near water. Feeds on the ground with a hopping and shuffling gait, sometimes cocking tail; small flocks form in migration and winter. Often in same areas as other cinclodes, especially Gray-flanked Cinclodes in the Andes and Dark-bellied Cinclodes in lowlands. Buff-winged is distinguished by clay-brown plumage tones, plain breast (vs. obvious streaking on Dark-bellied and Gray-flanked), and broad buff wing stripe shown in its raised wing song display.