Bay Coucal

Small puffbird, always rare in the middle levels of lowland and foothill forest. Typical puffbird shape: rotund with a large flat head and thick hooked bill. Brown above and white below with heavy blackish streaking. Unlikely to be mistaken. Easy to overlook as it perches quietly, often around a clearing or edge within forest. Usually single or in pairs, occasionally associating with a mixed-species flock. Listen for rising whistled calls.

Medium-sized spiderhunter with an olive back and streaked gray underparts. Inhabits lowland and submontane forests and forest edges, where it feeds primarily on nectar in the understory; favors blossoms of banana and ginger. Very similar in appearance to Gray-breasted Spiderhunter; range overlap is poorly understood but appears to be minimal. Look for Bornean’s more intensely streaked underparts and slightly larger size. Long-billed Spiderhunter can show some streaking on the breast but is much larger and longer-billed, with yellowish underparts. Sometimes noisy, giving loud raspy nasal calls.

Fairly common, but often retiring, in tropical lowlands of both drier and more humid areas. Favors forest edge, second growth thickets, hedges, and tangles, especially with morning glory flowers, which it munches quietly. Told from other saltators in Mexico and Central America by the grayish (not golden-green) upperparts, bolder white eyebrow, and plain breast. Immature looks slightly different, with a yellowish wash to the face and upperparts. Listen for sweet song with long slurred whistles.