Banded Barbet

Medium-sized woodpecker, plain buffy-brown overall with black-and-white barring on the back. Head pattern varies across range but usually shows some combination of yellow and red. Most males on the Caribbean slope of Mexico and into Central America have a solidly red crown and nape. In flight, look for white rump. Common and conspicuous in open woodlands, deciduous forest, and arid scrub from Texas and Oklahoma south to Nicaragua. Often the default woodpecker close to human settlements. Visits backyards and feeders, especially for oranges and jelly. Hybridizes with Red-bellied Woodpecker at the northern limits of its range and with Hoffmann’s Woodpecker at the southern limits. Also compare with the smaller Yucatan Woodpecker.

Unusual gray turaco with a long tail and bushy crest. White bars in the outer wing are conspicuous in floppy flight. Found in savanna, woodland, shrubby cultivation, and gardens. Usually in small groups. Loud and vocal. The call is a series of yelps that accelerate and become louder, usually given in a wild duet or chorus. Very similar to Eastern Plantain-eater, but there is very little overlap in range; Western can be distinguished by the lack of white in the tail and the black-spotted rather than barred back. 

Unmistakable large terrestrial raptorial bird. Sandy-colored overall with very long red legs, a long tail, and tufty crest in front of the eyes. Note the strong red bill and large pale eyes with blue eyerings. Strides elegantly through open and lightly wooded savannas but also perches on the top of trees. Usually sings at dawn, an evocative and incredibly loud “kuap-kuap-kuap-kuap” often delivered as a duet for extended periods.