Fan-tailed Warbler

A huge, ground-dwelling cuckoo, bane of coyotes. Streaky brown overall with a very long tail and short, shaggy crest. Surprisingly iridescent in good light, with purple and green tones on wings and tail. Usually seen on the ground in dry desert habitats with patches of thick vegetation; sometimes perches on fences or rocks, especially when singing. Runs swiftly after large insects, lizards, and other prey. Unmistakable in most of range; overlaps locally with Lesser Roadrunner in west Mexico. Greater has more streaking on the throat and center of breast, instead of clear buffy on Lesser. Listen for very low-pitched cooing song.

Male has dark slaty-gray head, neck, and upper breast; rest of the body is pale gray, with white on the belly. Wings darker than mantle. Female lacks the black hood, and has a whitish supercilium, brownish-gray upperparts with lightly barred back and rump, and buff-white underparts with wide brown bars. Juvenile is similar to female, but upperparts barred white. Immature similar to female. Song is a series of clear, loud whistles: “pee-pe-pe-pe-pe-twe-twee.” Some notes can be omitted, or additional notes added. 

Small, short-billed hummingbird found only in the Perijá Mountains, which straddle the border between Colombia and Venezuela. Similar to the more common Tyrian Metalail, but larger with a longer coppery (not bluish) tail; male is also darker and female has speckles on the throat. Inhabits scrubby areas in and around high elevation grasslands near tree line, typically at higher elevations than Tyrian Metaltail, but there is some overlap.