Black-headed Shrike-Babbler

A large, bulky, gray-brown ibis with an iridescent green-purple gloss on the wings. It has a bicolored black-and-red bill and a white streak across the cheek under the eye. Pairs and small flocks occur in a variety of habitats including open country, wetland margins, and forest edge; they forages on the ground, digging, probing soft soil, and picking up invertebrates with their long bills. The frequently-heard call is one of the most characteristic sounds of Africa: a loud, raucous, trumpeting “ha-da-da” which gives the bird its name.

A unique dark swallow of lowland rainforest, less commonly seen at forest edge and in montane foothills. The only swallow that can be found flying bat-like under the canopy in closed forest. Overall a dark sooty brown, with some birds, especially adult males, having brighter rufous throats. Small and compact with a short, mostly squared tail. Often found nesting under boulders, in caves, or in similar locations in the rainforest. Very similar to Square-tailed Sawwing, and some individuals are best left unidentified. Note Forest Swallow’s unique, bat-like flight, and in good light, its more brownish plumage and sometimes more rufous throat. Despite its visual similarity to sawwings, this species is most closely related to house-martins. Voice is a short, buzzy call note.

Small bird with thin pointed bill. Upperparts brown, underparts grayish brown, with dark red eye, reddish-brown forehead, and white throat with dark streaking. Similar Tasmanian Thornbill has longer tail and rufous-brown panel on wings; Inland Thornbill has grayer upperparts, more streaking on the breast, and a longer tail; and Striated Thornbill has more greenish upperparts, thin white streaking in reddish-brown cap, and pale eyebrow. Inhabits a wide variety of shrub habitats, where usually seen in small groups or pairs.