Purple Needletail

Handsome puffbird endemic to the lowlands of northwestern Colombia. Note the sizeable bill and wide black breast band. Brown back and dark spots on the chest separate it from other similar puffbirds in range. Inhabits humid forest and mangroves, occasionally venturing into lighter woodland, and perches at low to medium heights. Song is a long series that starts out very fast and then slows down to a steady cadence: “do-wit, do-wit, do-wit…”

Tiny bird, smaller than warblers, with a distinctive combination of black-edged golden crown stripe, big dark eye giving impression of "innocent" face, ,and white wingbar offset by black wing patch. Resides in coniferous and mixed woodland, forest, plantations, and gardens with conifers; migrants show up in hedgerows and areas without conifers. In autumn and winter, often travels with foraging flocks of tits and other small woodland birds. Inconspicuous but active, often high in the canopy. High-pitched jingling song has a distinctly up-and-down quality; calls are likewise thin and high-pitched.

A large, boldly-marked, crested eagle with a long tail and broad wings, resembling a massive goshawk. The underparts of the adult are blotched and barred black-and-white; there is also a variable rufous wash across the breast. The pale immature has creamy-tan underwings. It is resident in thicker woodland and lowland, montane, and riverine forest, where it hunts monkeys and other small-to-medium-sized vertebrates. It has an undulating display flight coupled with a loud “wheee-yooo, wheee-yooo, wheee-yooo” call that often draws attention. Juvenile Crowned and Martial eagles are similar, but the Crowned has buffier underparts (and underwings), spotted flanks, and broader bars on the tail.