Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird

The largest gull in the world. Huge, bulky, and large-billed. Adults have dark black backs and pale pink legs. Nonbreeding adults have very limited streaking on the head. Takes four years for immatures to reach adult plumage; intermediate plumages are often mottled and messy. Tends to look colder-toned overall, with more checkered upperparts and a whiter head than other immature gulls. Always note large size and thick bill. Most common along the coasts of the northeastern U.S. and Europe, but also occurs on large lakes (especially the Great Lakes). Often gathers in mixed flocks with other large gulls on beaches and mudflats.

Cryptically patterned in brown and gray with a rufous collar. Most distinctive feature is male’s ridiculously long tail, up to three times the length of the body and tipped with white. Females lack long tail; look for more prominent rufous collar to help distinguish from Swallow-tailed Nightjar. Often associated with steep road cuts, landslides, or cliff faces within forests of the subtropical zones. Males roost during the day on vines or branches that allow their long tail to hang down; females more apt to roost on the ground. Most often seen at dusk, when males sing and sally out from the mountainside, flaunting their oversized tail. Tends to be found at lower elevations than similar Swallow-tailed Nightjar, but some overlap. Listen for sweet whistled song, several repeated phrases getting slightly higher in pitch.

Tiny flycatcher found in the understory of forests with bamboo. Plain olive-brown above and pale buff below. Note the buff spot in front of the eye. The similar Drab-breasted Pygmy-Tyrant has a white (not buff) spot in front of the eye and occurs at lower elevations than the Brown-breasted Pygmy-Tyrant. The song is series of “tic-tic-tic” notes.