Madagascar Cuckoo

Small, compact, short-billed and short-tailed hummingbird with reddish tail. Male all glittering coppery green; female coppery green above and gray below with dark cheek and white eyeline. Occurs in shrubby and second growth forest borders in montane regions. Often perched alone near small flowers at mid-height. No similar species in its very limited range in extreme western Venezuela (Sierra de Perijá) and northeastern Colombia.

Rare and elusive night-heron with a bug-eyed, almost “alien,” appearance. Highly localized, seldom encountered far from its nesting colonies and roost sites. Black above with gray streaking on the chest and a clean white-and-orange head pattern, though this can be hard to see in poor lighting. Forages quietly in well-shaded forest streams, but most reliably seen in its small breeding colonies, usually hidden deep in a stand of bamboo or evergreen trees.

A brightly patterned sparrow restricted to saltmarshes on the Atlantic coast. Perches in the open when singing, otherwise secretive. Can be fairly common in certain spots. Similar to Nelson's Sparrow and often found wintering in the same habitat, but note bright orange face contrasting with white throat, and pale buffy wash on underparts with fine black streaks. Bill averages longer than Nelson's Sparrow. Song is a quiet sequence of hisses, gurgles, and tinkling notes.