Chirping Cisticola

Uncommon throughout most of its range, this elusive rock thrush breeds in rocky hill forest in northeastern China and Russia and migrates down the East Asian coast to winter in southern China and mainland Southeast Asia. Beautiful and distinctive male has a blue crown, orange underparts, and black wings marked with a bright white patch; small white patch on throat is not obvious and difficult to see. Female is brown with scaly markings on her back and breast; she lacks a pale crescent behind the eye. Usually stays low in shrubbery, but male will sing from an exposed perch.

Fairly common but easily overlooked in lowlands and foothills of central Chile. Found in matorral, scrub and adjacent semiopen areas with bushes. Presence can be revealed by bulky stick nests placed in bushes. Fairly skulking, keeping mainly to bushes and other cover, but also runs well on the ground, tail held cocked; often in pairs. Plumage relatively distinctive with whitish eyebrow, buffy to cinnamon flanks, and dark tail. Northern desert populations are paler and grayer overall while southern populations in humid areas are darker overall.

A large, unusual bushshrike of Tanzania’s Uluguru Mountains with a huge bill, a black head, a green back, and yellow underparts. Found in the canopy of montane forest, usually in pairs. Most often detected by the distinctive and unusual voice, which consists of sliding whistles given in pairs, one lower and one higher, along with well-spaced ratcheting notes. These two vocalizations are usually synchronized as a duet by a pair.