Gray Seedeater

A large, dull white-eye with a bright yellowish-orange bill, a yellow eyebrow and eye-ring, and a dark gray cheek. Olive-green below and on the back. Wings and tail browner. Found in native forest. Similar to Dusky White-eye, but larger, with a larger pale bill. Song consists of long wavering whistles followed by rhythmic rattling. Calls include a harsh scolding chatter.

Small plain bird with thin bill. Upperparts gray, underparts whitish, with striking white tail spots (best seen in flight), pale eyebrow, and red eye. Usually detected by song, a tinkling melodious string of notes moving up and down in pitch (like a musician practicing scales). Inhabits mangroves and surrounding habitats, unlikely to be far from mangroves.

Rare and difficult to identify, this petrel is known to breed solely on the steep vegetated slopes of Vanua Lava, in northern Vanuatu. Most frequently reported in the seas surrounding Vanuatu, it likely ranges much further afield in the southwest Pacific; unfortunately, its similarity to other petrel species and the sparse coverage of that region make determining this difficult. Note neat black cap, bright white hindcollar, and black “M” across the uppersides of the wings. Extremely similar to White-necked Petrel; Vanuatu averages slightly smaller and smaller-billed overall, and with minimal amounts of white on the undersides of the primaries compared to White-necked. However, some Vanuatus can show significant white “tongues” in the primary undersides, and as such, identification remains extremely difficult away from the species’ core range in northern Vanuatu. Juan Fernandez Petrel can also be very similar, but lacks the bright white hindcollar and has even more extensive white tongues on the primary undersides. Typically solitary at sea, but can congregate in feeding flocks, sometimes with other species.