Rufous-sided Scrub-Tyrant

A thick-bodied, highly aerobatic bird, white below and dark above with a dark chin and white cheek. Often perches on wires. Bill pale bluish with a dark tip. No similar species within its range. Found in open or forest-edge habitats. Common call is a rapid metallic “wit-wit-wit.”

Breeding males have obvious white blaze on forehead and broad green slash behind eye. Females are plainer brown with rusty sides. Females are very difficult to distinguish from female Eurasian Wigeon; note colder grayish-brown head on American that contrasts with warmer orangey sides. Also look for brighter white, not gray, underwings in flight, but this can be difficult to judge, especially at a distance. Widespread and common in North America, occasionally wintering as far south as northern South America. Typically in flocks on lakes and wetlands, often grazing in nearby fields. Regular vagrant to Europe.

Highly social inhabitant of lowland forests, unlike any other tit in both size and coloration; coal-black with a bright yellow belly and sharply upswept crest. Closer in size to a medium-sized bulbul than to a Japanese or Coal Tit. Tends to stick to the canopy, where it readily associates with other species in mixed flocks. Very vocal, often giving squeaky, shrill calls. Song consists of repeated high-pitched whistles, sometimes with an inflected quality.