Rufous-breasted Antthrush

Breeding male is unmistakable: bright green with a long tail. Non-breeding male is duller but usually still shows some iridescent green and an elongated tail. Female is a big, dull sunbird with a long bill. Found in fynbos, moorland, grassland, scrub, and exotic tree plantations. Restricted to high elevations except in South Africa, where it occurs down to sea level. Song consists of “tyep” notes and emphatic rattles. Female similar to female Bronze Sunbird but larger, duller below, and with a fainter eyebrow.

Sleek, fast-flying large falcon. Always look for a grayish back in adults, long wings that almost reach the tail tip, and powerful but slender build. Dark mark below each eye varies in shape and size. Juveniles are more heavily patterned below than adults, and can be quite brownish above. Patterning varies considerably across a wide global range, with back color ranging from pale gray in Central Asian “Red-capped” to slaty-blue across much of northern Eurasia North America, to almost black in Asian “Shaheen.” Chases prey down at high speeds with continuous powerful wingbeats. Becoming increasingly common in parts of range, especially in cities, where they can nest on tall buildings and feed on pigeons. Adaptable, and can be seen in a wide range of habitats; often encountered in areas with steep cliffs, as well as around coastal mudflats and open areas with shorebirds.

Rare and declining, but still fairly abundant at its main wintering grounds at Poyang Lake, in China’s Jiangxi Province. Adult is unmistakable with all-white plumage, save for a crimson face and black wingtips. Juveniles are whitish, with a light brown head, neck, back, and wings. Typically found around lake edges and fields, where it forages in small to medium-sized groups, primarily for plant matter and invertebrates.