Javan Flameback

Large, long-tailed sparrow with unique color pattern: gray body, fairly bright greenish wings and tail, rufous crown, and white throat. Favors disturbed areas in montane forest and open slopes for breeding. In winter, usually found in dense thickets or mesquite in desert washes. Forages on the ground or in dense shrubs primarily for seeds and insects. Rarely visits feeders. Listen for unique nasal call note.

A brilliantly-colored parakeet; males have a plum-colored head while females have grayish-blue head. Endemic to the Indian subcontinent where it can occur in any well-wooded area outside NE India and the high Himalayas. Similar to the largely non-overlapping Blossom-headed Parakeet, but shows a darker shade of plum or gray on the head and a white-tipped tail (not yellow). They also lack the red shoulder patch seen on Blossom-headed females. A yellow upper bill separates it from all overlapping parakeets. Call is a distinctive, short, and high-pitched “tui.”

Large and pugnacious, this common tit is found in a wide range of wooded habitats, from dense hill forests to manicured city parks throughout much of Asia from India to Indonesia. Adult has a flashy white cheek on a black head, a black stripe on a white belly, and gray wings; East Asian birds have a hint of green near the shoulder. Juveniles are duller, replacing the adult’s black with gray. Very vocal; song is a bright “tzi-hei tzi-hei!” or “tzee-tzee-tzee-tzee”; also gives loud chips, seeps, and harsh scolding “tzi-tzi-tzshhhhhh.” Formerly treated as two separate species, Japanese Tit and Cinereous Tit.