Masked Tityra

Tityra semifasciata

eBird describes the Masked Tityra like this:  Handsome, mostly silvery gray bird of tropical and subtropical forest and adjacent semi-open areas with taller trees. Usually found at mid-upper levels of fruiting trees, sometimes in small groups. Identified readily by pinkish base to bill and pinkish ‘mask’ around eyes. Females in most areas have a dark brownish head, but in West Mexico the females have a pale gray head and back. Distinctive call is a wet quacking or farting sound.

The Birds of the World website introduces the Masked Tityra with this descriptive information:  The Masked Tityra is the more widespread of the two species of Tityra that occur in Middle America, but in South America, where all three species of tityra co-occur, this species is actually the least wide-ranging, although this comment is relative, and the species is still found over large parts of the northern two-thirds of the continent. Like other tityras, the males are principally whitish, black, and red, while females are browner over the upperparts. Nine subspecies are generally recognized, males all of which can be distinguished from the superficially similar taxa of Black-tailed Tityra (Tityra cayana) by the much less extensive black on the crown and the white tail tip. Females are also readily separated from the same sex of Black-tailed Tityra, by the lack of streaking over the under- and upperparts, and in some subspecies by the browner upperparts and paler head.

I saw my first Masked Tityras at La Selva in Costa Rica on the afternoon of February 6, 2023.  We spotted a pair of Tityras high up in the canopy and, despite the distance, I was able to get a couple of fairly decent photos.