Madagascar Jacana

A distinctive, tall, long-legged, crane-like raptor with unique quill-like plumes on its head and bright-red facial skin. In flight, the dark edge to the hind wing, diamond-shaped tail, and long spatulate tail feathers make it unmistakable. It prefers open rangeland and savanna, where it strides about hunting for reptiles, small mammals, and insects, which it bludgeons with its powerful legs.

Small, attractive flycatcher found in humid forest along the east slope of the Andes. Eyebrow is thick and yellow at the base of the bill, becoming thin and white behind the eye, and it also has bold, rusty wingbars. Similar to wing-barred races of Crowned Chat-Tyrant, but white part of eyebrow is shorter and thinner. Also very similar to Jelski’s Chat-Tyrant, but yellow part of eyebrow is slightly larger, and the two species are not known to overlap. Inhabits forest understory and easy to overlook if not vocalizing. Typical song is a high, fast trill that briefly goes up in pitch before steadily descending.

Looks very much like a chiffchaff, and best identified by voice: song is pleasant, slightly descending warble, very different from song of chiffchaff. Compared to chiffchaff, Willow Warbler is often brighter, more yellowish (especially in autumn) with stronger pale eyebrow, pinkish legs, and tends not to habitually dip its tail. However, many birds seen are best left unidentified. Found in wooded habitats, from mixed forest to willow thickets in open country.