Puna Pipit

Small black-and-white shearwater that flies with snappy wingbeats. Pay attention to its face pattern: typically quite dark and smudgy, with white curling up behind the cheek. Underwing is mostly white, sometimes with dark markings. Flies low to the water with quick wingbeats, almost recalling an alcid; occasionally arcs up high in strong wind. Prefers cooler ocean waters in the North and South Atlantic; rarely seen from land. Rare but seemingly increasing in the Pacific. Found singly or in small flocks, sometimes with other shearwaters. In Caribbean and western Atlantic, most similar to Sargasso Shearwater but shorter-tailed and darker-faced, with white under the tail.

Large, distinctive corvid, roughly the size of a Eurasian Jay. Note the long and heavy bill, white-flecked face, and black cap. Note unspotted dark brown back and sides. Short tail, white vent, and white tail markings evident during undulating, woodpecker-like flight. Inhabits coniferous and mixed forests, from lowlands up into high montane forests. Often stores nuts for the winter. Mostly resident but large numbers may irrupt periodically out of the normal range in response to food shortages. Gives a variety of calls, especially during the breeding season, including harsh grating rasps, as well as quieter “mumbling” calls and mimicry. Formerly grouped with Northern Nutcracker under the more generic “Eurasian Nutcracker.”

Blue-and-black tanager with a bright creamy-white crown and rump patches; otherwise deep blue with black patches from the tail to the head. Compared to the similar Opal-rumped Tanager, this species has a distinctive whitish crown and a blue (not reddish) belly; the latter can be helpful for identification from below as it moves through the canopy with mixed species tanager flocks.