Pampas Pipit

A small swallow with white underparts and dark blue upperparts. The tail shows an unusual pattern: a dark rim around large white panels both above and below. Found very locally in southern Ethiopia in open thorn savanna, in areas with many large termite mounds. Often in pairs. Similar to Gray-rumped Swallow, but easily separated by the white in the tail. Could be confused with Common House Martin, but has white in the tail rather than a bold rump patch.  

Large-headed songbird with confusingly dissimilar male and female plumages. Male has an orange back, white throat, orangish belly, and a black head and wings. Female is green-winged and gray-headed, with a darker crown and triangular patch behind the ear. She shares the male’s warm-colored belly, but hers is more salmon-pink than orange-yellow. The species inhabits mature foothill forests, where it may often be seen with mixed-species foraging flocks.

This flightless South American relative of the ostriches stands about 5 feet tall with a body about the size of a sheep; no similar species in its range. Rheas roam widely on open Patagonian steppe and also occur locally in open habitats of the Andes, mainly at very high elevations. Can be confiding where used to people, but in other areas wary, running strongly and quickly. Rheas occur singly or in groups, and males take care of the young. Adults have bold pale spots on the body, first-year birds are plainer overall.