Lesson's Seedeater

Chunky, short-tailed, flat-headed bird patterned in green and black. Male has black head and breast, pale yellow belly with bold dark barring, and mossy green upperparts with bold pale spotting on the wing. Female is similar but has a green head with barring all the way up the throat. On both sexes, note red bill and legs and pale eye varying from orange to gray to whitish. Fairly common in stunted forested habitats in the upper subtropical and temperate zone in the Andes. Sluggish; perches quietly in the middle levels of the forest, sometimes following a mixed-species flock. May be seen singly or in pairs, but several can gather around a fruiting tree. Listen for super high-pitched calls.

Fairly small, short-tailed parrot of lowland rainforest. Green backed with a yellow head and white and yellow underparts. Smaller than other short-tailed parrots and appears big headed. Usually forages and flies in pairs or small groups around the rainforest canopy. Listen for high, buzzing screeches.

A furtive, streaked rail of wetlands and fields that is often detected within its reedy hideouts by its piglike squealing and grunting. The brown cheek, while narrow, gives the face a distinctive “eyebrowed” appearance, as it divides the bluish gray face in half. The neck, back, and wings are warm brown with black streaking. Breast and belly are brownish gray with black and white streaking on the flanks. Bright orange lower bill can be surprisingly visible, even from a distance.