Agile Tit-Tyrant

Active, social little bird of humid evergreen and pine-evergreen forest in foothills and highlands. Usually in small, twittering groups (at times up to 40 birds), moving at all levels through forest and edge, often at fruiting trees and bushes; commonly a core member of mixed-species feeding flocks. Rather drab but distinctive, with dull greenish upperparts, grayish to brownish head (varies regionally), and bold white patch behind the eye. Formerly known as Common Bush-Tanager.

A small, sharp-billed warbler-like bird. Note the yellow patches on the throat and undertail and the bold white spectacles around the eye. Common on the island of Anjouan in the Comoros in habitats with woody vegetation, including remnant forest patches, plantations, woodland, scrub, and gardens. Usually found in hyperactive flocks. In its small range, easily identified by the white spectacles. The most common calls are a high-pitched, rising rattle and a descending “chew” note, which is also the main component of the quiet, chatty song. 

Large hawk-like cuckoo of dense forests, usually foraging in the canopy, where difficult to see. Adult has gray upperparts, streaked white underparts, and long tail with thick dark bars. Juvenile similar but darker brown overall. Large Hawk-Cuckoo very similar but adult averages larger, with a more elongated profile, broader tail bands, and extensive rusty smudging on the neck; juvenile lacks the rusty tone but is densely marked below with arrow-shaped marks, unlike the rounder, sparser marks of juvenile Malaysian. Juvenile Hodgson’s Hawk-Cuckoo also confusingly similar but is likewise more extensively streaked below. Gives two distinct songs, a high “kiwit!” and a rapid-fire series of piping notes.