Rodrigues Warbler

Odd and distinctive sunbird in which both sexes have a female-like plumage. Shows brown upperparts, pale underparts with black scaling and streaking, a black throat, and white whiskers. There are small yellow tufts at the shoulders, which can be hidden. Found in habitats with trees and bushes on the island of Socotra. Gives a twittering song, and also sometimes mimics other bird species.

A rather small, demure understory denizen resembling a cross between a robin and a flycatcher. Mostly dull brown with a buffy throat and a short eyebrow. Juvenile is more mottled. A highly local bird found singly and in pairs in dry and wet primary and secondary montane forest in a narrow range along the Udzungwa and Livingstone mountains escarpment between 1350 and 2500 meters of elevation. Sits for long periods, sallying to catch insect prey, or forages on the ground, often in the company of ants and other ant-following birds. Sings a variable medley of quavering high-pitched notes, “tseet-teet-tsereet-teeet-tsureet,” that is sweet without being tuneful. Calls include an invariable piping “wheet” uttered once a second. Alarm call is a grating “drrrzzt, drrrt, drrrt.” May be mistaken for a flycatcher, but its furtive nature and preference for thick understory are unique within its range. 

A very small shorebird of both inland and coastal wetlands and estuaries. Breeding adult has vivid orange head bordered by dark stippling (no dark markings internal to the orange, unlike Little Stint) and bright orange and gold tones in upperwing coverts. Nonbreeding adult gray above, pale below; juvenile similar but richer gray-brown above with neat pale feather edges in upperparts. Flight call a high-pitched, raspy “krreeet.”