White-cheeked Nuthatch

One of only a handful of resident tree-dwelling songbirds on Christmas Island, and the only white-eye. Tiny warbler-like bird with an olive-yellow crown and back, soft gray underparts, and a slightly broken white eye-ring. Found throughout the island in wooded habitats, particularly forest edges. Social and active, foraging energetically in small to medium-sized flocks. Gives a variety of calls, including loud chatters, sparrow-like chirrups, and high-pitched “djirr” notes.

Cryptically patterned nightbird; widespread and common in Central and South America, limited U.S. range. Found in shrubby woodlands. Patterned with gray, gold, and brown; note especially cinnamon cheeks and golden edges on back and wing feathers. In flight, note white outer tail feathers and white bar across the wings. Roosts on the ground during the day; actively hunts for insects at night. Song is a distinctive, rich, slightly buzzy "pur-WEEooo." Relatively long tail compared with other similar nightbirds.

A slim brown buzzard with a distinct white iris. Adults have a white throat with a prominent dark stripe, yellow base of the bill, and rufous tail. Dark tips to wing feathers are clearly visible in flight. Often shows a white patch on its nape. Juveniles have a buffy head and brown iris. The usual habitat is dry, open country or forest, where it mainly feed on insects, rodents, and small mammals. This species is most often seen soaring alone in thermals or perched still. Groups of two or three may sometimes be seen. The most commonly heard call is a plaintive mewing note or falling whistle.