West African Wattle-eye

Brightly colored barbet of montane forest. Males are green with a yellow breast, a red belly band, and a red head; the color of the whisker can be blue or yellow depending on the subspecies. Females have a blue face and a greener body. Both sexes have a pale greenish-yellow bill. Often found singly or in pairs with mixed-species flocks, foraging in the mid-story and canopy of humid forest. Listen for a musical purr with a punctuated introductory note: “PA-prrrrr.”

Looks superficially similar to a typical lark, but a careful look reveals an odd shape: a flat, triangular head, a chunky bill, a long neck, and a relatively short tail. There is a beautiful scalloped pattern on the back and thick streaking on the breast. Extremely local and uncommon in grassland habitat. Usually seen singly, running along the ground. Occurs alongside Somali Short-toed Lark, but easily distinguished by its odd shape and scalloped pattern on the back. Somewhat similar in shape to Flappet Lark, but less buffy, especially on the underparts. The flight song is a mix of different call types that are repeated several times in a long jumble. 

A small charcoal-colored songbird endemic to New Zealand. Confined to the South and Stewart Islands. Favors native and exotic forest stands. Males have a more distinct separation between dark gray and cream on their chest than females. Juveniles mirror the look of a female but with less to no cream underneath. Can be incredibly confiding and curious about humans. It is possible to bring individuals out into the open by disturbing leaf litter and then sitting quietly. Actively flushes out prey with foot trembling and by flicking its wings and tail. Male song is a loud and simple phrase of notes including “pwee-pwee-pwee.”