Caroline Islands Swiftlet

Small dark-brown nightjar of lowland forests. Bright white bib often noticeable. Male has silvery-white tips to the outer tail feathers; both sexes lack white in the wings. Nocturnal and extremely rarely encountered by day, when it roosts in thick, tangled foliage. Frequently hawks from a perch. Listen for its strange, mooing moan: “wuoOOOhwwhh”.

Large thrush, greenish brown with black scallop marks above, pale with black scaly marks below. Smaller Russet-tailed Thrush has larger-appearing bill, is less strongly marked above. Bassian lacks white in tail corners, usually visible in flying or preening Russet-tailed. The smaller wingbar has less prominent pale tips in adult Bassian. Introduced Song Thrush has spots rather than scaly marks below. Inhabits wet forests, where it forages in leaf litter. Song recalls that of Common Blackbird, very different from Russet-tailed song.

The gloom of the forest may make this small songbird of dense montane forests and edges appear dark, but a bit of sunlight reveals a gloriously colorful plumage, with subtle patches of olive, blue, yellow, orange, and chestnut. Social, moving about in pairs or flocks, often emerging out into the open when gaps in the vegetation are present. Song begins with a whistled introduction, then breaks into harsher, sharp jangled notes; calls low and raspy.