Micronesian Starling

A large pigeon of lowland and foothill forest. Pale gray head, yellow eye and short green tail. Pale pinkish breast and whiteish belly are divided by a distinctive thin, black breast band. Fairly common but not seen too often as it keeps more to the forest interior. Distinguished from all other imperial-pigeons by chest band. Its distinctive call betrays its presence. A long, muffled note followed by a series of chuckles “wooo wuhuhuhu wuhuhuhu”.

Slender and drab songbird of open country. Brownish above with heavy streaking below. Distinguished from similar-looking (unrelated) buntings by thin bill and lanky appearance with long legs. Walks on the ground with jerky motions and frequently bobs tail. Breeds in tundra, while in winter and during migration, found in cultivation, moist grassland, and wetlands. Flocks are often heard as they pass overhead or flush from a barren field; listen for sharp, high-pitched call notes and look for flashing white outer tail feathers.

Distinctive but understated, this wholly glossy blackbird with a rather long, sharply pointed bill occurs in a wide range of mainly open habitats, from town parks and farmland with hedges and bushes to mattorral scrub and open forest. Feeds on the ground, at flowers, and in trees on fruit, often in small flocks. Voice is highly varied, sometimes loud, and can draw attention. Fairly common in central Chile, becoming uncommon farther south and in Argentina. Compare with cowbirds, which are smaller with shorter bills.