Black-fronted Tyrannulet

Accomplished song mimic of lowland rainforest. Dark brown thrush with yellow bill and bold yellow eye ring. Sings from a perch high in a tree, often quite difficult to see. Song is composed of imitations of songs and calls of other birds; a single individual can have more than 70 sounds in its repertoire. Found in tall forest, especially around streams.

A graceful aerial feeder found over a wide variety of open habitats, especially near water, including marshes and towns. Often seen on exposed perches including power and telephone lines in villages. Commonly found in flocks of up to twenty birds, sometimes mixing with other swallows and martins. Note the male’s diagnostic glossy purple-blue plumage and snow-white belly. Females and immatures are similarly patterned, but have brown mixed with the blue and are probably not safely separable from Cuban Martin. Female and immature Purple Martins are very similar, but they often have a scaly breast and finely streaked belly, with less contrast between belly and chest. Notably, Cuban and Purple Martins are not present in this species’ range from March to September. Calls include a harsh “churr,” a buzzy “zwick-zwick,” and a musical buzzy burbling.

Bland, unremarkable-looking medium-sized babbler of open forest, forest edges, clearings, brushy riparian, and overgrown margins of cultivation in lowland and foothill areas. Extremely generic-looking, with no bright colors, a medium-length tail, and an average bill. Evenly-proportioned body gives it a rather bulbul-like outline. Note unmarked gray face, dark gray crown, dark rufous tail, and faint brownish wash on the chest. Especially similar to Moustached Babbler, but note present species’ darker crown, plain face (no moustache), and more slender bill. Scaly-crowned is also similar, but has a bright rufous patch on the forecrown. Plainly-colored Pellorneum babblers can be confusing, but note differences in proportions and profile. Most frequently-heard song is a beautiful but eerily human-like rising series of even whistles; when duetting, one bird often gives explosive “wik!” calls in response. Also gives a quicker, more cheery, and less human-like version of the song, as well as a short melancholy up-and-down series of whistles.