Vanikoro Whistler

Chubby Taiwan endemic with a black “robber’s” mask. Formerly considered part of Gray-headed Bullfinch. Male is pearly gray overall with a pale tan spur on the sides (often difficult to see). Female has a gray head and warm brown back and belly. Both sexes have a glossy black tail and wing markings. Breeds in coniferous and mixed montane and foothill forests; sometimes descends to lower elevations during the winter. Song is a chattering series of whistles and distinctly dry and raspingly creaky notes. Calls are soft and mellow-sounding, usually a “poo-yee” or “pooe” note.

Plump, medium-sized shorebird with very long bill. Extremely similar to Long-billed Dowitcher, and often flocks with it. Best distinguished by voice: a rapid series of notes, “tu-tu-tu”, lower-pitched and almost always in a series, unlike single piercing “keek!” of Long-billed. At all ages, look for subtle structural differences: Short-billed averages flatter-backed, slightly shorter-billed, and slightly shorter, especially noticeable when in a mixed flock. Breeding birds are intricately patterned with a variable amount of orange on the underparts. Short-billed usually has some white on the belly, and paler upperparts with bolder golden and white markings. Also look for messy and extensive spotting on sides, not sparsely barred like Long-billed Dowitcher. Nonbreeding plumage is brownish-gray overall with a paler belly; extremely similar to Long-billed but averaging slightly paler and more patterned, especially on the breast and sides. Juveniles are easiest to identify: look for bright golden markings on the tertials and scapulars. Short-billed breeds in grassy wetlands and tundra, and can be found in a variety of wetland habitats in migration and winter. A very early fall migrant, with southbound birds appearing in the U.S. by late June. Usually in flocks, feeding actively like a sewing machine. Tends to favor saltwater marshes, beaches, and mudflats. Somewhat less likely in freshwater habitats than Long-billed, but much overlap, especially the hendersoni subspecies that migrates primarily through the center of the continent.

A small sunbird. The male has a pale gray belly and relatively narrow red breast band. The female is overall gray-brown. Pairs and small groups visit a broad variety of habitats. The species gives a characteristic short two-note “cher-cher” call and a rapid high-pitched song of up-and-down notes. The only similar species it overlaps with is Greater Double-collared Sunbird, which differs by being 20% larger, with a longer heavier bill, a much broader red breast band in the male, and a slower song.