Groove-billed Ani

A rather large, secretive, variable ground-thrush with mostly orange-rufous underparts and olive-brown upperparts, double white wingbars, and a distinctive smudged blackish mask spreading from the base of the bill to the ears, broken by a partial white eye-ring behind the eye. Rare, found in pairs in montane forest between 800 and 2300 meters of elevation in two discrete populations in the Cameroon Mountains and the Itombwe Highlands. Prefers wetter forest, including gullies and ravines where it forages on the ground, but sings from the forest canopy. Song is a rich mellow series of whistles, “chroo-woo-doo-too-loo-do-chu”; alarm call is a typical high-pitched thrush “ssreee.” No other ground-thrushes have a black face mask. 

Plump, short-tailed, and long-legged bird found in Andean cloud forest in Ecuador, northern Peru, and the central Andes of Colombia; also known from one site in Colombia’s eastern Andes. Plumage is chestnut-brown with a slightly paler belly. Smaller and plainer than other highland antpittas in its range. Stays low inside high elevation cloud forest and heard far more often than seen. Songs include a short, whistled “wit, wi-di-dit” and a descending trill. Formerly called Rufous Antpitta.

Tiny and active sunbird of forest edges, parks, and gardens; the most common urban sunbird throughout most of its expansive distribution; ranges from Andaman and Nicobar Islands to Lesser Sundas. Both sexes have a plain olive back, a yellow belly, and white tail edges that are flared out in flight. The male flashes an iridescent blue throat while the female has a yellow throat and eyebrow. Female Brown-throated Sunbird also has a yellow belly, but it is larger with a thicker bill and lacks the white tail patches of Ornate. Gives a rising “dwee”, a familiar sound even in cities. Formerly grouped with other, closely related species under “Olive-backed Sunbird.”