Slaty Finch

Australian crows and ravens are challenging to identify; concentrate on call, throat-hackles, behavior, and location. Calls usually a very fairly short, repeated “ah-ah-ah.” Note relatively short bill, white bases to the small throat hackles. Similar Torresian Crow larger and more likely to be found in very large flocks in dry inland parts of Australia. Inhabits arid inland areas of Australia and is not the default crow/raven in any of the major cities.

A very rare and little known, powerful raptor of foothill and lower montane forest interior. Black crown, dark wings with chestnut edged shoulders, heavily streaked chest and barred belly. Yellow legs, eye and base to the bill. Often hunts birds either from soaring or from a perched position. The common morph adult is distinctive but black morph or juveniles are similar to the equivalent forms of Meyer’s Goshawk, but Chestnut-shouldered Goshawk is usually found at lower elevations and has a yellow rather than dark eye. Call is a loud upslurred note similar to that of Meyer’s Goshawk.

Chunky black chat with a huge white wing patch. The male has a white cap, and the female a messy white throat patch. Found mainly in miombo and mopane broadleaved woodland, and locally in bushy country and villages. Exuberant song is a fast series of clucks, whistles, and rattles. There is little range overlap with other black chats.