Yellow-bellied Whistler

Small finch of grassy woodlands. Mostly brown (darker above), with a gray head, black throat, black bill, and white undertail. Black tail relatively short and rounded. Masked Finch has longer, pointed tail, yellow bill, and brown head. Feeds in grasses or on the ground, sometimes in large flocks, mixed with other species. Call is a long descending whistle.

Unusual partridge that is small and dark, with a thick tail that is usually cocked up. A good view reveals red legs, red bare skin around the eye, and fine markings on the breast and head. There is some regional variation: the plumage is generally darker in moister areas and paler in drier areas. Found in a variety of savanna habitats with a thick and grassy understory, often in rocky areas. Usually in pairs or small groups. The distinctive vocalization is a series of loud “wheet” notes that rises and becomes more emphatic, usually given as a duet by a pair. Cocks up the tail like Crested Francolin, but smaller, darker, and without a bold pale eyebrow stripe. 

A medium-sized bird of lowland forest on Bohol, Leyte, and Samar islands. Has a pale blue bill and deeper blue eye wattle, a black face, a streaked crown, a reddish-brown back, a dark wing with a pinkish to white wingbar, a thin white collar with some scaling above, and a reddish rump and tail. Underparts are white in the female and pinkish in the male. Makes short sallies for insects. Can be found in pairs, small groups, or sometimes mixed-species flocks. Unmistakable. Voice includes a plaintive whistle and a sharp “tyik!”