Yellow-billed Turaco

The red head of the breeding male is distinctive. Non-breeding male and female are nondescript, streaky brown birds with buffy eyebrows. Found in moist grassland and savanna. Most records are of territorial breeding males. Becomes inconspicuous when not breeding, mixing with flocks of other weavers and seedeaters. The call is a rough “jyet”, and the song is an unmusical chattering. Breeding male very similar to breeding male Cardinal Quelea but has more red on the nape and less on the breast, producing a more cleanly “hooded” look.

A medium-sized iridescent blue-green glossy starling with a dark ear-patch and contrasting royal blue to violet flanks and belly. Pairs and small groups occupy savanna, where they feed on the ground and in trees on fruit and insects; occasionally up to 300 may gather at fruiting trees. Often the species scavenges from people. It gives a cat-like nasal “squuee-aar” contact call that is distinctive. The similar Lesser Blue-eared Starling differs from Greater Blue-eared Starling by being smaller with a more compact head and finer bill, by having a smaller ear-patch, and by preferring broadleaf woodland. The Cape Starling differs from the “blue-eared” starlings by having greener ear-patches, belly, and flanks.

Large toucan, widespread across South American lowlands. Mostly black with a dark bill (although some populations have a yellow ridge on top of the bill). Significant plumage variation across range: throat color varies from white to orange; bare skin around eye varies from blue to red. In the western part of its range, appearance is very similar to White-throated Toucan, but note voice: a grating croak, not a clear yelp. Singles, pairs, or small flocks are found in the forest canopy, often around fruiting trees. Named for the groove along the upper part of the bill, which is difficult to see in the field.