Every month we will put another birding tip on-line. Just unfocus your eyes to detect movement where nothing else is moving. Be sure you re upwind.
Neotropical birds tend to go around in mixed flocks.
The best tactic for seeing them is to determine the flocks direction and get ahead of them. That way, you are still and have maximum time to get the field marks. Colors can be tricky. Not just the chatting as you walk the trails. Some fabrics are much quieter than others.