Black-backed Oriole

Tiny, short-tailed hummingbird with disjunct range from Venezuela to southeast Ecuador. Spectacular male is mostly green with a bushy orange crest with black spots, a dark throat, a red bill, and a white band across rump. Female is duller overall with a rusty forehead and a whitish throat. Unlikely to be confused within its range, but compare with Rufous-crested Coquette (male lacks black spotting in crest and female has a brighter rusty throat). Generally rare in lowlands and foothills up to around 1,200 m. Most likely to be seen at purple Verbena flowers or in the canopy of a flowering Inga tree.

A white, exotic-looking waterbird with a bright red face and raggedy crest. Adults are washed in gray during the breeding season. Most colorful in flight; underwings are tinged with soft orange. Inhabits paddy fields, wet meadows, and riversides, and breeds in nearby forests. Extremely restricted in range, the bulk of the wild population is restricted to a preserve in Yang’xian in China’s Shaanxi province, though reintroduction programs have been successful in Japan and other parts of China.

Tiny bird of riverside vine tangles and seasonally flooded forest. Distinctive male is black-and-white while female has burnt orange head and breast; both easily recognized in riverside habitat. Usually found in pairs away from mixed-species flocks. Forages actively, climbing through vines and gleaning insects from leaves. Frequently detected by contact call: a nasal doubled note. The more complex song is heard less often.