Chinese Penduline-Tit

Smart-looking dark thrush with a distinctive pale crescent on the chest; male’s is bright white, female’s is dingier. Adult blackish overall with frosty pale wing edgings. Immature in autumn–winter has a much duller collar. Bill is duller yellow than Eurasian Blackbird, with a dark top edge and tip. Rather shy, flying into cover or far away over slopes when disturbed. Breeds in open highland habitat, including moorland, alpine meadows, rocky mountain sides, and conifer stands. Migrants can turn up in fields and open farmland. Sometimes associated strongly with junipers, especially in non-breeding range. Song is pleasant but simple and repetitive; calls include a low “taktaktak” and a buzzy “zrrp, zrrp.”

Massive snipe found in flooded savanna and grasslands where it usually flushes at close range, showing rounded wings and trailing legs. Has a very long broad-based bill. Yellowish head with two large black streaks. Breast and belly are quite pale and heavily streaked, contrasting with the bold rufous and black lines on the back. Usually detected by sound. On the ground sings a nasal mechanical “aga-aga-aga,” whilst in flight produces an eerie “Hori-go, Hori-go”.

A small, widespread Galápagos finch. Bill is longer than it is deep, appears somewhat pointed, and has only a slight curve to the upper edge. Lower edge of bill is mostly straight. Bill size varies among individuals, and not all birds can be accurately identified. Bill is black on breeding male and dull orange on female and nonbreeding male. Male’s plumage is sooty-black; female is brown with paler underparts that are streaked with gray. Medium Ground-Finch has thicker, less pointed bill. Sharp-beaked Ground-Finch has bill that is slightly more pointed and is less rounded on the upper edge. Found in a wide variety of habitats on most islands, but absent from Genovesa, Darwin, and Wolf.