Heinroth's Shearwater

Very local and endemic to interior of Oaxaca, where replaces larger and bulkier Rusty Sparrow (no known range overlap). Favors brushy woodland and edge and oak thickets with adjacent grassy areas. Usually rather skulking, on or near the ground, but often feeds at edges early and late in the day. Sings from more conspicuous perches in bushes and trees. Note the all-black bill and strong face pattern, with black lores setting off the broken white eyering.

A medium-sized, stocky lark with a long heavy bill and scalloped upperparts, giving it a scaly appearance. The short rufous crest can be raised; face, eyebrow, and underparts are tawny with fine streaking on the upper breast. In flight it has white outer tail feathers. Pairs are locally common residents in montane grassland, dambos (seasonally flooded wetlands), and moist grassland. The aerial display and song are diagnostic; the male rises some 25m into the air while singing a melodious trilling song that rolls up-and-down in pitch “zi-zi-zu-zu-zu-zi-zi-zi”, before parachuting to the ground. Also calls from mounds before making a short low hop-flight with associated “prrt-prrt” sounds of mechanical wing-rattling. Also, some mimicry and loud “tew-chi-chi-tew” calls. Angola Lark is smaller and darker than Rufous-naped and larger than Flappet Lark, with a more robust bill and paler underparts.

Tiny hummingbird with a white rump band and rusty tail. Adult male is stunning, with a flowing, glittering green beard ending in white spots, an iridescent green face, and a small crest. Female and young male are much plainer than male, but they typically have a white throat with dark patch in the middle, and lack the buffy or rusty tones on the underparts shown by females of several similar species. Distinguished from female Peacock Coquette by lack of streaking on the throat. Inhabits humid lowland and foothill forest and is quite scarce in most of its range. It was previously considered to be a subspecies of Festive Coquette.