Ochre-faced Tody-Flycatcher

Medium-sized hummingbird with an iridescent green body and short bill. Males have a long iridescent green crest, a violet throat that extends down the belly, flanked in gray. The female has a less prominent crest, a gray belly, and a more prominent white spot behind the eye. Resembles Violet-crowned Plovercrest, but male Green-crowned Plovercrests have a green rather than violet-blue crest. Females of Green-crowned Plovercrest have slightly smaller white tips to the outer tail feathers. Found in the understory of lowland and montane forests and light woodlands.

A striking little bird, shaped like a robust gnatcatcher. Note the bold black-and-buff head pattern, black chest fading to rufous flanks, and bright rufous on the wings. Tail is long and narrow. Unmistakable if seen well, but compare with Marañon Crescentchest, which has silvery wing edges and more richly-colored underparts. Secretive; singles or pairs skulk in dense thickets and understory of dry woodland and second growth, up to 2,300 m. More often detected by song; listen for a series of loud, popping chip notes.

Locally fairly common in the high Andes. Often in flocks, sometimes by the hundreds, and associates readily with other seed-eating birds. Feeds mainly on the ground, often on roadside gravel or in animal corrals. Distinctive in most of range, and distinguished readily from other yellow-finches by combination of silvery-gray cheeks and grayish back and flanks. The namesake bright rump is usually hidden and is a poor field mark. In Chile, Greenish Yellow-Finch occurs mainly at lower elevations.