Oleaginous Hemispingus

Plain and unremarkable babbler; warm rusty-brown with a dark gray face and a streaked crown. Pale eye stands out against the dark face and gives the bird a somewhat crazed appearance. Shy and difficult to see as it forages in dense tangles and undergrowth. Habitat varies within range; most common in lowlands on the mainland, and in foothill and lower montane forest on Borneo and Sumatra. Song variable but consistently high and whistled, often with an ascending quality. Calls include a long, uniform rolling chatter and harsh scolding.

One of the most common and widespread warblers; often the core member of mixed warbler flocks during migration, especially early in spring and late in fall. Two main populations: “Audubon’s” breeds mainly in the mountains of the western U.S. and into British Columbia; “Myrtle” breeds from the eastern U.S. across Canada to Alaska. All plumages show a bright yellow rump and yellow on the sides. Most “Audubon’s” have a yellow throat, but dull immature females can be off-white. “Myrtle” Warblers have a white throat that wraps around below the cheek. Both subspecies breed in coniferous or mixed forests, often near clearings or edges. In migration and winter, found in any woodland or open shrubby area, including coastal dunes, fields, parks, and residential areas. Often sallies out from a conspicuous perch to snatch insects. Also eats berries in the winter. Calls frequently: a flat “check” (Myrtle) or rising “chit” (Audubon’s). Another distinctive sedentary population, surely a separate species, occurs very locally in the highlands of Guatemala: Goldman’s Warbler. Males are strikingly black overall, and show a mostly yellow throat with white corners.

A long-legged short-tailed thrush with brown upperparts, heavily spotted buff underparts, and a strongly marked face. In flight, shows distinctive large buff patches in the broad wings. Pairs and small groups occupy open montane habitats, including moorland, grassland, and woodland, often in heavily grazed and burned areas. Runs long distances on the ground hunting invertebrates, stopping bolt upright and flicking its wings. The song is a series of rough, spitted whistles. Calls include an upslurred “wheet” given singly or in series, and a dry rattle.