Long-tailed Bush Warbler

Small, dark, and long-tailed. Difficult to see well. Overall gray with rufous wings and crown. Sexes alike. Stays hidden in weedy, tangled undergrowth at the edges of fields and secondary forest. Distinctive song often heard emerging from impenetrable thickets: a low, stuttered chatter.

Plump, medium-sized shorebird with very long bill. Extremely similar to Long-billed Dowitcher, and often flocks with it. Best distinguished by voice: a rapid series of notes, “tu-tu-tu”, lower-pitched and almost always in a series, unlike single piercing “keek!” of Long-billed. At all ages, look for subtle structural differences: Short-billed averages flatter-backed, slightly shorter-billed, and slightly shorter, especially noticeable when in a mixed flock. Breeding birds are intricately patterned with a variable amount of orange on the underparts. Short-billed usually has some white on the belly, and paler upperparts with bolder golden and white markings. Also look for messy and extensive spotting on sides, not sparsely barred like Long-billed Dowitcher. Nonbreeding plumage is brownish-gray overall with a paler belly; extremely similar to Long-billed but averaging slightly paler and more patterned, especially on the breast and sides. Juveniles are easiest to identify: look for bright golden markings on the tertials and scapulars. Short-billed breeds in grassy wetlands and tundra, and can be found in a variety of wetland habitats in migration and winter. A very early fall migrant, with southbound birds appearing in the U.S. by late June. Usually in flocks, feeding actively like a sewing machine. Tends to favor saltwater marshes, beaches, and mudflats. Somewhat less likely in freshwater habitats than Long-billed, but much overlap, especially the hendersoni subspecies that migrates primarily through the center of the continent.

Dull-brown laughingthrush with a dark throat, speckled orange breast, and a thin ochre-orange line curving elegantly over the eye. Dark bill is heavy-looking and somewhat corvid-like. Restricted to the Langbian Plateau in southern Vietnam, where it is unlikely to be confused with any other species. Inhabits foothill and submontane forest, forest edge, and scrubby areas with dense ground cover. Forages low in dense vegetation or on the ground, usually in pairs of flocks. Can be difficult to see as it scratches about furtively. Musical song is quite beautiful and incorporates some mimicry.