Silver-backed Needletail

An unusual and distinctive lark with a large bill and a short tail. Note the black “tear” mark below the eye. Plumage varies geographically; this lark is sandy brown in the northern part of the range and dark brown in the south. Found in dry, short grassland, usually within savanna environments, generally in small flocks. Somewhat similar to Thekla Lark, but has a larger bill and a shorter tail, and lacks a crest. The song includes short series of well-spaced slurred whistles. The typical call is a nasal whistle. 

Medium-sized hummingbird, usually fairly common in foothills. Favors oak woodlands, adjacent brushy thickets, and shade-coffee plantations, in both drier and more humid situations. Feeds at all levels and often rather aggressively chases off most other hummingbirds. Note the bright rusty wing patch and rusty tail (which often has purple and bronze highlights). Lower bill is red, but is often hard to see. Sexes similar, but female has duller, less buffy belly; birds from Chiapas south have a green belly.

A mostly black inhabitant of swamps and marshes. The male has a telltale orange-red shoulder patch with pale yellow trim, which the female lacks. Both sexes of Tawny-shouldered Blackbird have a yellow-orange shoulder, though the shoulder color is sometimes only visible in flight. The Shiny Cowbird lacks a shoulder patch, is quite glossy, and has a shorter and stouter bill than Red-shouldered Blackbird. The call is a “chut” or “chut-chut” and song is a shrill “Shuh-reee-eee.”