Brown-backed Honeyeater

One of the most beautiful of all flowerpiercers, found only at high elevations near tree line in Colombia’s western Andes. Adult is black with a chestnut belly and silvery shoulder patch. Young birds are duller and browner. Also note the oddly shaped bill with a hooked tip, used to penetrate the bases of flowers to extract nectar. Inhabits scrub and stunted forest, and visits hummingbird feeders in at least one location. Song, often quite long, consists of squeaky chirps that constantly change in pitch.

A medium-sized greenbul of thickets and tangles that prefers edge and semi-disturbed habitats. Most often seen in pairs or small family groups, but it will occasionally join other species in flocks. Gray below except for a bright yellow throat, and uniformly yellow-green above with reddish eyes. Most likely to be confused with the similarly named Yellow-throated Greenbul, which usually has a paler whitish throat in areas where the two species overlap. Yellow-necked Greenbuls can be distinguished by their uniformly gray underparts, brighter olive-green upperparts, dark red eyes, and consistently bright yellow throats. Voice is a variable subdued chatter, “kur-ku-kurkwu.”

A small kingfisher with deep purplish-blue upperparts and clean white underparts, a white neck spot, and bright orange legs. Bill is black. Prefers mature forest, not necessarily near water, often perching low. No other dwarf-kingfisher shares its range. Told from Little Kingfisher by orange legs and lack of blue on chest. Call apparently nearly identical to that of other Melanesian dwarf-kingfishers: a high-pitched, weak repetitive whistle, often given in flight.