Blue Cotinga

A chunky bird with a notably thick pale bill. Dark brown on the upperparts and paler brown below, with some blurry breast streaking. Found in the understory and at middle levels of humid forest, including secondary forest. Rich, melodious, variable song consists of several penetrating whistles, generally in an up-and-down pattern. Calls include “chek” and “whit” notes. Somewhat similar to Rusty Pitohui, but smaller, lacking rufous underparts, with a dark rather than pale eye.

Large dove found in mature montane forests from the western U.S. and Canada into Middle and South America. Soft blue-gray above and unique purplish-gray below, with white crescent on the nape. Yellow feet. Bill is yellow with black tip in northern populations, all yellow in southern ones. Forms large flocks in coniferous forests and montane areas where it feeds on seeds and fruits. When it takes off, wings make loud clapping sound.

A relatively large-billed shrike-like bird primarily found in lowland forest canopy. Male is white below and iridescent black above except for a white rump. The female is overall reddish brown, with more reddish wings and a grayish hood. Similar to several bicolored shrikelike birds in the region, but note Sabine’s Puffback’s large bill, striking sexual dimorphism, and unique song, which consists of a distinctive series of long whistles descending in pitch before arriving at a single repeated pitch, growing louder, and then ending suddenly. Songs can sometimes last several minutes, and are more reminiscent of some Yellow Longbill songs than of the songs of other puffbacks. Calls include typical puffback-like rattles and harsh calls.