Kinglet Manakin

A small, sunbirdlike bird of montane forest. Long, thin, curved bill and olive body with slaty wings, head and contrasting yellow, lower throat. Similar to several other species, but Slaty-chinned Longbill lacks the gray chest of Spectacled Longbill and female Black Sunbird, lacks the yellow eye-brow of female Olive-backed Sunbird and has a contrasting gray head and yellow throat, unlike the lower elevation Yellow-bellied Longbill. Song, a high-pitch jumble of slurred notes sometimes interspersed with loud downward “chew!” calls.

Handsome partridge of southern Arabia. Pale gray overall, with a tan patch on the neck, black-and-white slashes along the sides, and a complicated black-and-white facial pattern. In flight, shows dark wingtips and black sides to the tail. Found on rocky hillsides with significant amounts of vegetation. Usually in small groups. The most common vocalization is a series of “chok” calls that becomes quicker and more emphatic as it progresses. Similar to Philby’s Partridge, but distinguished by the white throat, black crown, and in flight by the lack of chestnut in the tail.

Distinctive and attractive, but a rarely seen denizen of fresh and brackish wetlands, especially with shallow water and low to knee-high grasses; also found on lakeshores with taller reeds and rushes. Occasionally seen feeding quietly at edge of vegetation, but mostly seen when flushed from close range. Flies up silently with stiff flicking wingbeats and brief glides, long legs trailing, and drops back to cover usually not far away. Note bold white spots on wings and droop-tipped bill. Related to jacanas, not closely related to the typical snipe.