Beryl-spangled Tanager

A large, long-billed rail with a bright chestnut head, neck, and back, olive-colored wings, a black rump and tail, and a gray undercarriage. Note the pinkish-red bare skin around the eye. Legs pinkish-red and bill olive. Pairs or small groups inhabit swampy riverside areas and lowland and hill forest. Very shy. In Aru Islands, overlaps with the much larger Chestnut Rail, but can be distinguished by reddish legs, chestnut head color, and black tail. Gives a dramatic, deep bellowing “kyow-kyow” call and piglike grunts.

A large, long-tailed, heavy-billed cuckooshrike. Male has a complete black hood. Female lacks hood, but head is darker gray to blackish, without a clear black throat. Both sexes are largely pale gray above and white-bellied. Singles or pairs inhabit upper levels of forest and edges in lowland and foothills. Confined to the Moluccas. Larger and heavier-billed than Halmahera and Common Cicadabirds, and white belly separates it from those species and from Stout-billed Cuckooshrike. Distinguished from Black-faced Cuckooshrike by the black hood that includes nape and crown. Gives a harsh, accelerating rattle, “grrgrrgrr-grrRT-GRRRT-GRRRT,” and a high-pitched, soft whining “wheeeyoo.”

Dark, long-tailed, long-billed wetland warbler. There is a small white shoulder mark and heavy streaking and spotting on the underparts. Found in papyrus swamp. Shy and difficult to see; most often detected by voice. Song starts with slow and hesitant notes, speeds up, then ends with a trill made by beating the wings together at incredible speed. The white shoulder and heavily streaked breast separate it from reed warblers and other swamp warblers.