Yellow-throated Serin

Brightly-colored cuckoo found mainly west of the Andes. Combination of rufous-tawny body and gray separates it from other cuckoos in range. Nests in deciduous forest, dense scrub, and savanna at lower elevations. Outside of the breeding season, it disperses widely and can be seen far from its breeding areas, including at high elevations on rare occasions. Furtive and rarely comes out into the open for long. Song is short series of soft, guttural notes; also gives a harsh churr.

Small, beautiful tanager with bright uniform green plumage. Males have bluish wings and tail and scattered dots on breast. Note the dark lores. Females are all green and lack the dark lores. Found patchily in the canopy of humid forest and forest edges, typically in white sand areas or ridgetops, and often found with mixed-species flocks. Easily confused with juveniles of Yellow-bellied and Spotted Tanagers. The song is a very high, hissing “tsip... tsee-tseee-tsee-tsee-tsee”.

Fairly common but sometimes local; heard far more often than seen. Found in dry scrubby habitats on rocky slopes, often with bamboo. Runs quickly with tail cocked, but often calls from an elevated perch in a bush or atop a large rock. Smaller and slimmer than Moustached Turca (often in same areas), with a longer and brighter rusty tail, a whitish throat and chest bib, and variable dark barring on the belly.