Worstbird

Fairly large antpitta of montane habitats. Rusty orange with a white throat and a lighter white or gray belly. Forages on the ground in dense undergrowth in upper montane forest, elfin forest, and humid scrub above the treeline. Often a fairly common bird, but reclusive and much more often heard than seen; listen for an even-paced and slightly descending series of a few whistled notes: “pee, per, pur,” easily imitated.

Medium-sized honeyeater with long decurved bill, nomadic across arid and semi-arid inland Australia. Male black with white belly, wing patches, and tail panels; distinctive patch of blue skin beneath eye. Female and juvenile plain brown, with subtly patterned wings and faint speckles on chest. This species wanders in search of flowering shrubs and can be absent one year, common in large flocks the next. Much larger than Black Honeyeater (which has completely black upperparts). Calls include a slowly whistled phrase of several notes.

Chunky, large-billed, streak-backed cisticola. Brown overall, without bright rufous in the plumage. Males are much larger than females. Found in grassland and savanna with scattered bushes. Song varies geographically but always consists of a rising note with a croaking quality. Larger than Stout Cisticola and lacks a bright rufous crown. Distinguished from most other cisticolas by large size and heavy bill. As with all cisticolas, habitat and voice are important cues in identification.

Fairly small toucan found in northwestern Amazonia. Often the most common speices of aracari within its range. Mainly black above and yellow below, with two conspicuous dark belly bands. Also note bare blue-green skin around eye and striking black-and-yellow bill with a red tip. Typically found in small groups in the canopy of lowland forest and edges, up into the foothills of the Andes. Often seen perched conspicuously on a snag, or foraging in a fruiting tree.

Fairly common in the Andes of central Chile and adjacent Argentina; seen readily at ski resorts, around villages, on bogs, and on stony and grassy slopes. Often in flocks, associates readily with other seed-eating birds. Feeds mainly on the ground, but sings from prominent perches such as a rock or building. Not appreciably larger than other yellow-finches, but no similar species in most of range. May overlap in winter locally with Greenish Yellow-Finch, which has shorter wings and a shorter bill, and male never is as bright golden as the Greater Yellow-Finch.