Somali Thrush

A dark turtle-dove with typical scaly rufous-pink edging to the wings and black patches on the sides of the neck. The face is pale silvery-gray and the belly and flanks are pinkish-mauve. Female and juvenile are paler than the male. Uncommon to common in pairs and small groups in rocky broadleaf woodland, preferring riverine areas. Song is a 3-note “cuuuoor-cuuuuoor-cuuu.” The slightly smaller European Turtle-Dove occurs alongside Adamawa as a migrant between September and March, but has whitish lines within the black neck patches, a pinkish (not gray) breast, and a paler belly. 

Males are black-and-orange like an oriole, but stockier with a very thick bill. Nonbreeding males, females, and immatures typically have an orangey wash across breast with fine dark streaking on sides. Underwing coverts are always yellow. Bill usually looks bicolored, darker above and paler below. Fairly common in a variety of woodlands including mountain forests, thickets along desert streams, and backyards. Winters in Mexico. Regularly visits feeders. Listen for sweet robinlike song and squeaky call. Compare females and immatures with extremely similar Rose-breasted Grosbeak, which is usually identifiable by range. Black-headed usually has sparser and finer streaking on the underparts and more orange tones.

Fairly small tanager of pine-oak and tropical forest in foothills and highlands of Mexico; endemic. Found mainly in the canopy, usually in pairs or small groups that sometimes join mixed-species feeding flocks. Distinctive male has brilliant red head (with small black mask), greenish upperparts, and yellow underparts. Female is rather drab greenish and yellow overall with dusky gray cheeks. Female looks similar to female Hepatic Tanager but much smaller with smaller, stubbier bill and paler belly. Calls are high twitters similar to Bushtit.