Vulturine Guineafowl

A medium-sized songbird endemic to New Zealand, confined to predator-free offshore islands and South Island mainland sanctuaries. Glossy black plumage with distinct chestnut saddle across the back, which gives the bird its name. Note the bright reddish-orange wattles on either side of the bill. Juveniles have smaller wattles and are chocolate brown for their first year. Listen for distinct calls resembling a blaring “cheeet ta-chet ta-chet ta-chet” sound. Constantly moves noisily as it restlessly forages on the floor and through the canopy. Flicks over leaves and digs into rotting logs with its strong bill in search of invertebrates. Distinguished from Eurasian Blackbird by chestnut saddle and wattles.

Small finchlike bird, compact and short-tailed. Generally yellow below and dark blue-black above with stout bill. To identify male euphonias, focus on crown and throat: on Thick-billed, crown is entirely yellow and throat is yellow. Females are extremely difficult to separate from other euphonias, especially Yellow-crowned, but often seen in pairs or small groups with more distinctive males. Frequents open forested habitats, edges, and gardens. Can form mixed feeding flocks with other species such as warblers and tanagers.

Well-camouflaged nightbird, endemic to the Philippines. Inhabits open areas in grasslands, as well as scrubby forest edge and rocky river margins. Intricately patterned gray-brown, but without the white throat and tail-tips of Philippine Nightjar, and has a less contrasting wing pattern at rest. Listen for its song, a bright, rising “j’wee!”, averaging clearer and less buzzy than the song of the closely related Savanna Nightjar (under which Chirruping was once treated as a subspecies). Little-known Mindanao population may be a distinct taxa.