Blue-billed Malimbe

Large, lanky blackbird with rounded crown and long tail. Males have ridiculously long tails, almost as long as their body, often held in a V-shape like the keel of boat. Males are glossy black. Females are brown, with subtle face pattern. Eye color ranges from brown along western Gulf Coast to yellow on Atlantic Coast. Strictly coastal, except in Florida where they occur inland (often around human development). Overlaps with similar Great-tailed Grackle on Texas coast, but occurs more strictly in coastal saltmarshes and has dark eye (not pale).

A spectacular turaco with iridescent dark blue wings and tail and a green head and breast. Note the ornate markings on the head: a moderate crest that is white-and-orange along the back, and white stripes above and below the eye. Like all turacos, shows large crimson wing patches in flight. Found in coastal forest and woodland and along forest edge. Acts like a typical turaco, bouncing through the trees and flying occasionally with short bursts of wingbeats and long glides. Overall similar to Livingstone’s and Hartlaub’s Turacos, but easily separated by the orange in the crest. Call is a gruff, accelerating series of “kow” notes. 

A small, mostly gray swiftlet, paler beneath with a pale throat and darker cap. White rump varies from white to pale gray. Occurs over a wide range of habitats up to 1900 meters of elevation. Similar to both Uniform Swiftlet and Mayr’s Swiftlet, but smaller, with a paler rump. Main call is a pleasant twitter, “twee-twee-chew-chew.”