Malagasy Kingfisher

Tiny, skulking rail-like bird that is unlikely to be seen unless you’re expressly looking for it. The male is boldly red and black with white stripes, while the female is brownish and much plainer. Found on the ground in forest, scrub, heath, and wetlands in eastern, central, and northern Madagascar. Extremely shy and elusive, and most often detected by voice: a loud and explosive couple of “ki-dit” calls followed by a very long series of shorter “kit” notes. Much shorter-billed than the very rare Slender-billed Flufftail. All other rails are larger and have different coloration.

Very local, poorly known, and elusive dove of humid evergreen forest in foothills and mountains of Sierra de Los Tuxtlas, near Catemaco in southern Veracruz. Feeds mainly on the forest floor, walking quickly away or flushing explosively from close range. May be seen beside quiet trails early and late in the day. Heard more often than seen. Note the white face with a black whisker, and blue-gray hindneck and breast.

A large, boldly patterned brown-and-white sparrow-weaver. The bold white eyebrow, wingbars, and rump are striking. Family groups are resident in arid thorn scrub and drier broadleaf woodland, where they make messy nests in trees and forage mostly on the ground for insects and seed. The song is high-pitched, varied, and metallic, sounding like a computer-generated laser gun. The similar Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver differs from White-browed Sparrow-Weaver by having a brown (not white) rump and a chestnut (not dark brown) head with a different pattern.