Russet-winged Spadebill

Medium-sized woodpecker with unique face pattern: red crown, pale yellowish forehead and throat, and pale eye. Otherwise glossy-black with streaky underparts. In flight, look for blazing white rump and wing patches. Typically fairly common from western North America to Colombia, especially in mixed oak forests and other open woodlands. Social and conspicuous. Occurs in family groups that breed cooperatively. Well-known for stashing large numbers of acorns in telephone poles and tree trunks. Listen for nasal “waka-waka” calls and chatters.

An enigmatic thrush of lowland primary and secondary forests, often in areas with lots of cover near water. Gray-brown overall with distinctive double white wingbars and double black bars in the ear patch.  Similar to the equally unknown Black-eared Ground-Thrush, but note Gray Ground-Thrush’s plain gray-brown appearance and brighter white wingbars. Song is unknown, but reported to give a sharp, sibilant call.

A large, stocky pigeon that is found on islands off the shore of Halmahera and far western Papua. Gray head, emerald-green back and wings, blue tail and rusty vent. The eye is red and there is a large knob-like projection on the front top of the bill. Found in a variety of forested habitats, and some wander between islands, sometimes straying to the mainland. Voice a deep, gravelly, 2-note “grrr-waw”, with the second note higher than the first. Similar Spectacled Imperial-Pigeon may co-occur but is separated by its white spectacle around the eye and lack of a knob on the bill.