Slender-billed Starling

Small owl lacking ear tufts, with chestnut mantle and pale belly with streaked flanks. Crepuscular and diurnal, occurring singly or in pairs in wet rainforest, or neighboring woods. Chestnut back and streaked flanks of Chestnut-backed Owlet separate it from the similar Jungle Owlet, and Chestnut-backed also prefers the wetter region of the island. Call is a series of barbet like “kurr-kurr-kurr” notes, often followed by harsh “kao-kao” yaps, similar to Jungle Owlet, but slightly lower-pitched.

A typical pitta: plump, short-tailed, long-legged, and primarily terrestrial (sometimes perches up to call). Bright green above with electric blue shoulder patch and rump and black head with conspicuous pale brow. Underside golden-buff with black and bright red on the belly. Plumage varies geographically, with forms varying in eyebrow, throat color (white or black), and extent of red and black on belly. Juvenile duller, with little blue in wing, an orange-tipped bill, and a pinkish belly. Inhabits woodland, forest, scrub, and plantations in lowlands and hills; some populations migratory. Sometimes arboreal when calling. Voice varies throughout range; generally a variation on “wit-wit-deer” or “werwer-dew!”

A distinctive, rather large duck that is common in wetlands, lakes, bogs, slow-moving rivers, and along seacoasts. Sexes look alike: grayish brown overall with bold pale dappling on sides of body, a darker face, and a short bushy crest (often hard to see); bill and legs dark gray. In flight, note the big white panel on the trailing edge of the wing (similar to Flying Steamer-Duck, which is heavier bodied and is rarely seen in flight). Eyes typically reddish in Patagonia and orangish in northern Andes.