Steel-blue Whydah

A unusual dark greenbul often found near water in the forest interior. Decorated in various shades of dark and olive green, with a gray throat that contrasts with the breast, a buffy belly, and bright white sides of the tail. Can be confused with both Honeyguide Greenbul and actual honeyguides, but the flight is direct rather than undulating, the throat contrasts with the breast, the eyes are always dark, and the vocalizations are distinctive. Can be located by its “REHR!” calls, often followed by a series of fast, scratchy notes and sometimes repeated for minutes on end.

Black-masked bandit of open areas with some bushes and trees. Bold black, white, and gray pattern is distinctive; also note stout hooked bill. Usually seen singly or in pairs, often perched conspicuously on a treetop or utility wire. Fairly widespread in southern and western North America, but never abundant, and declining over much of range. Carnivorous habits make shrikes unique among passerines; they feed on rodents and small birds. Undulating flight; watch for white patches in the wings. May overlap with Northern Shrike in winter; Loggerhead is slightly smaller, darker, and lacks white around the eye.

Brightly colored barbet with a massive, heavy dark bill. Green with an intricate black-yellow-red-blue facial pattern. Entirely red crown separates it from similar Gold-whiskered and Red-throated Barbets, both of which have yellow foreheads. Inhabits wet lowland forests, where it forages unobtrusively in the upper levels. More often heard than seen: song is a simple series of resonant hoots.