Elgon Francolin

A tall, relatively long-billed, stilt-legged pipit with a noticeable moustache stripe and limited streaking on the chest. Olive-gray overall with a plain back. Found in bare and open areas in west-central Africa; the only pipit likely to be encountered in the lowlands in its range in the summer months. May occur with other pipits, especially in winter, but note the very long legs, the limited streaking on the chest, and the plain back. Song is a variable sequence of musical notes and calls, and birds will also give a “chuwee!”

Large, stocky, long-tailed sparrow. Uniform matte brown, with rich cinnamon tones on face and orange undertail coverts. Also note very limited streaking on upper breast with no central spot. Occurs in chaparral and other tangled shrubby, dry habitats. At home in neighborhoods and gardens in lowland California towns. Forages primarily for seeds by running and hopping on the ground. Visits feeders. Essentially no range overlap with the very similar Canyon Towhee; also note California has plain brown crown and obvious rusty tones on face.

A medium-sized black-and-white hornbill. Males have a mostly red bill with a small yellow or white tip; females have an all-black bill. Both sexes show white spotting across the wing. Found locally in dry savanna, usually in pairs or small groups. Similar to Von der Decken’s and Northern Red-billed Hornbills, but separated from the former by the white-spotted wing and from the latter by the yellow-tipped (male) or all-black (female) bill. The call is a series of low clucks.