Painted Tiger-Parrot

Handsome large laughingthrush with a dark cap and throat. Wings and tail are coffee-colored with blue-gray highlights along the edges. Black-and-white spotting on the upper body is densest on the back and breast. Combination of dark throat and cap is unique. Moves in pairs and small flocks through the undergrowth in open forest and scrubby areas at high altitude. Listen for its often piercingly loud, somewhat disjointed-sounding whistles coming from dense bamboo or rhododendron groves.

A slim, long-tailed all-black flycatcher with a dark eye. Found in savanna, woodland, and cultivated areas. Single birds or pairs sit out on conspicuous perches, sometimes quite low. Very similar to Southern Black-Flycatcher, but there is virtually no overlap in range, and Northern lacks gloss in the black plumage. Distinguished from drongos by the slimmer bill and dark brown eye. Could be confused with certain black cuckooshrikes or boubous, but has a more vertical posture, and sits motionless for much longer periods. Not very vocal, but does have a pretty song of various trills, wheezes, and whistles given with long pauses between phrases. 

An unmistakable, little-known, strikingly patterned small flycatcher confined to the Tanimbar Islands. Male is jet black above with a striking white eyebrow, wing patch, and sides to uppertail. Below, shows a tangerine chest and a white belly. Female is undescribed. Found in understory of forest in both lowland areas and in the foothills. Song is a complex high-pitched warble lasting a few seconds, and rising and falling regularly. Calls include a very high “sweee” and a soft, grating “grrr-it.”