Mountain Wren-Babbler

A tiny, all-dark swift. Flight is fast, fluttery, and batlike. Usually observed flying continuously along ridges or over the forest canopy. Native to the Mariana Islands; introduced to Hawaii from Guam in the 1960s. In Hawaii, occurs only in the mountains of Central Oahu, seen primarily in Halawa Valley and the adjacent Aiea Loop Trail.

A chunky bird with a thick dark bill. Quite plain: gray-brown on the upperparts and buffy below, with indistinct breast streaking. The breast pattern varies geographically: gray in some areas, contrasting with the buffy belly, and buff in some areas, the same color as the belly. Found at low and middle elevations in humid forest, including secondary forest. Rich, melodious, variable song consists of several penetrating whistles, generally in an up-and-down pattern. Somewhat similar to Rusty Pitohui, but smaller, with a dark rather than pale eye. Similar in size and shape to Sooty Shrikethrush, but never as uniformly blackish. Also similar to Gray Shrikethrush, but smaller, shorter-tailed, and browner, usually with more distinct breast streaking.

An unusual lark with a slim bill and pinkish-brown markings on the face and underparts. Unlike many larks, shows no white in the outer tail or rufous in the wing in flight. Found in dry savanna. More likely to be confused with a pipit than other larks, but separated by the pinkish plumage. The song is usually given from the top of a bush, and often repeated: a simple, tinkling series of high notes that accelerates and drops in pitch.