Madagascar Serpent-Eagle

A small dark owl, intricately marked with black streaks and fine barring. Bright yellow eyes are set in a pale face ringed with black. The ear tufts can be prominent, especially when seen on a day roost, but sometimes are nearly invisible. Found in open woodlands, orchards, and parks. Active at night, when usually detected by monotonously repeated song, a single plaintive hoot that carries quite well. Within its restricted range, can only be confused with Little Owl, but separated by smaller size, ear tufts, and gray rather than brown overall coloration.

Largest kingfisher in Americas with exceptionally enormous bill and raucous calls. Blue-gray with shaggy crest, white collar, and rufous belly. Male and female similar, but note different breast pattern: entirely rufous on male, while female has blue-gray band bordered by white. Often conspicuous, searching shallow water for fish from a prominent perch and chattering noisily when disturbed. Singles or pairs are also often observed flying high overhead and giving loud "keck" calls. Nests in burrows excavated in banks, generally along watercourses.

A small, plain woodland species often found flycatching from exposed perches at middle levels in the forest; often flicks tail once upon landing. Note that this species has relatively inconspicuous wingbars and no eyering. The similar Eastern Wood-Pewee has distinctly longer primaries (assessed by looking at how far the primaries extend beyond tertials), whitish wingbars, and rarely flicks its tail upon landing. The Greater Antillean Elaenia has bold white wingbars and an entirely dark bill unlike the Jamaican Pewee. Vocalizations include plaintive “wee-wee,” with the second note louder and both notes upslurred, a similarly plaintive ‘uh-weee-oo” with the middle portion upslurred, and a slightly rough, whistled “weeah.”