St. Helena Plover

Smallish honeyeater with a curved black bill. Grayish overall, with yellowish panels in the wings and tail, and a dark smudge around the eye. Also note bright yellow speckle behind the eye if seen well. In areas of overlap, juvenile Brown Honeyeaters are regularly confused with Dusky Honeyeaters (which are a darker sooty-brown and lack the yellow wing panel). Social and noisy, moving in active flocks. Found in a wide variety of habitats, including mangroves, forests, parks/gardens, and arid inland areas. Very vocal with a wide variety of chattering calls.

The only chickadee in its range: primarily occurs in northern and central Mexico, barely entering the U.S. in the Chiricahua and Animas Mountains. Darker gray body than other chickadees, with black cap, white cheeks, and extensive black throat. Lacks any warm buffy tones. Restricted to mountainous pine forests, often in mixed flocks with other small songbirds. Listen for rather complex gurgling song and harsh call notes.

Spinetail with a largely dark body contrasting with a rich rusty crown, wings, and tail. Note the streaked whitish throat. In its tiny range, found in the understory at the edge of remnant humid forest fragments and in adjacent second-growth vegetation. The call is a repetition of “teh-teh-teh” notes.