Fly River Grassbird

Handsome long-tailed bird. Breeding male has a black throat, mostly yellow underparts. Breeding female often has some dark on the throat, paler yellow underparts. All plumages have gray head and back, with whitish eyebrow, bright yellow belly and vent. Often near flowing water with nearby rocks or surrogate rocky habitat, from mountain streams to weirs in suburban parklands. Walks quietly along shorelines or in nearby open areas, pumping its very long, white-sided tail up and down. Song is a repetitive series of high-pitched notes; calls include short, high “pseet” and buzzier flight calls.

Small chickenlike bird found on the ground inside humid lowland forests from Honduras to Ecuador, up to around 1,400 m. Smaller than wood-quail with a distinctive plumage pattern. Male has bright orange face and gray breast. Female has pale stripe behind eye and scaly belly. Rare and infrequently seen. Pairs or small groups walk on the forest floor. Listen for its repeated plaintive whistles.

A medium-sized bird of lowland wooded habitats, including mangroves, on Tanimbar Island where the only triller. White underparts, black upperparts with short, white eyebrow, 2 white wing-bars and other white-edged wing feathers. Loetoe Monarch has a white belly and black wing with a white patch, but a very different head pattern, with black throat and white cheek. Call, a sharp, nasal “jek!”.