Great Rufous Sparrow

Brown-and-white denizen of bubbling streams and brooks. Look for white underparts with dark streaks, light buffy wash on the rear flanks, and bold white eyebrow. Stays on or near the ground, constantly bobbing its rear end up and down. Males sometime perch up high to sing. A very early migrant: arrives on the breeding grounds in eastern North America before most other warblers have even dreamed of starting migration, and arrives back on the wintering grounds as early as July or August. During the breeding season, favors fast-moving streams with lots of rocks to hop on. In the northern parts of its range, often in steep hemlock-lined ravines. Winters primarily in Middle America and the Caribbean, where it’s slightly less picky about habitat, and can be found around slower-moving water. Very similar to Northern Waterthrush, but whiter base color below, brighter pink legs, and broader white eyebrow. Also look for clean white throat (usually streaked on Northern). Best distinguished by song: several piercing clear whistles followed by a complex jumble of notes. Call note very similar to Northern: a loud, metallic chip.

Rather large hummingbird with a slightly decurved bill, extremely similar to Green-breasted Mango, and range overlap is not perfectly understood. Apparently Veraguan Mango mostly replaces Green-breasted from the Osa Peninsula to Panama City. Male is entirely green with dark purplish tail. Look for blue stripe running down the center of throat and breast (not black like Green-breasted Mango). Females have white underparts with dark greenish line running down the center; nearly identical to Green-breasted Mango. Juveniles have orange bordering the white underparts. Found in habitats including forests, second growth, gardens, and mangroves.

Very large for a hummingbird; size alone separates from many other species. Males and females similar: gray below, dusky-greenish back, brown rump, and large dark tail with prominent white corners. Also note white eyebrow and short white mustache stripe. Male has bright blue throat patch, difficult to see unless the light hits it just right. Uncommon in canyons and mountains with mixed pine-oak forests, primarily in Mexico but barely extending into the U.S. Very similar to Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem, especially if you can’t see the throat color. Blue-throated is slightly larger and paler overall with larger white (not gray) tips on the tail feathers; females are plainer, lacking the buffy tones of Amethyst-throated. Also compare with Rivoli’s Hummingbird, especially females; Blue-throated is shorter-billed and plainer (less speckled) on the underparts.