McKay's Bunting

Handsome long-tailed bird. Breeding male has a black throat, mostly yellow underparts. Breeding female often has some dark on the throat, paler yellow underparts. All plumages have gray head and back, with whitish eyebrow, bright yellow belly and vent. Often near flowing water with nearby rocks or surrogate rocky habitat, from mountain streams to weirs in suburban parklands. Walks quietly along shorelines or in nearby open areas, pumping its very long, white-sided tail up and down. Song is a repetitive series of high-pitched notes; calls include short, high “pseet” and buzzier flight calls.

A large, long-tailed, thrushlike bird of dense forests. Note its black necklace, streaked white cheek patch, and pale band near the tip of the tail. Very similar to Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush; note dark eye and ‘contained’ (completely encircled) cheek patch. Shy and difficult to see well. Usually found in small flocks in wet lowland and hill forest, often near streams. Song is a series of loud whistles, not as long or varied as that of Hwamei. Native to East and Southeast Asia; introduced to the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

An active but easily overlooked long-tailed greenbul found in flocks in the understory and along the edges of montane forest. Can be found near ant swarms. Has a relatively long brownish tail, generally olive underparts, olive-green upperparts, a pale throat, and a gray face.  Usually found at higher elevations than other similar greenbuls. Foraging behavior and tendency to move tail and hold it lower than the body are distinctive. Often detected by its harsh chatter, “chuk-chuk-chuk,”  or its bubbling “chuk-CHURR-chrchr” song.