Abdim's Stork

An unmistakable black, white, and gray thrush. Gray upperparts and black head marked with bold white cheek patch and long white eyebrow. Throat and chest black and belly clean white, peppered with black spots on the upper part. Occurs in forest, where it forages on the ground but often perches in trees just below the canopy, particularly when singing. Confined to the Tanimbar Islands. Complex song is a sequence of melodious whistled stanzas, mostly upslurred at the start, and interspersed with quick “chew-chew-chew” phrases.

A medium-sized greenbul often found in flocks in forest and forest edge with other bearded-greenbuls. Like all bearded-greenbuls, will sometimes puff out its throat feathers. Often forages actively in the foliage. Shows a grayish head, a bright white throat, yellow-green underparts, and olive-green upperparts with a reddish tail. Nearly identical to White-bearded Greenbul, and can occur with it in the same mixed-species flocks in Central Africa. Not all individuals can be safely identified. Listen for Red-tailed Greenbul’s distinctive calls as they forage in the branches and leaves, and look for its brighter tail and, at close range, its bigger, wider bill. The species is vocal, frequently giving a “hup-chup-cheer-you-up!” or similar multi-parted variations. 

Locally abundant coastal cormorant of Humboldt Current. The species name is linked to the famous guano islands of Peru. Can be seen as singles, but usually seen in flocks, sometimes many thousands feeding, nesting, and roosting in dense masses or commuting in endless streams. Associates readily with pelicans, boobies, other cormorants, and Inca Terns. Adult is handsome with a distinctive “dinner dress” pattern of white extending up into neck and a red patch around the eye. Immature has similar pattern, but is brownish above and the plumage is duller overall.