Dwarf Jay

Striking medium-sized woodpecker of far western North America. Beautiful plumage with mostly red head and breast and bold white slash on the shoulder. Some show vague pattern of black-and-white on the head, but always more extensive red than Red-naped Sapsucker. Also note limited white mottling on back, and no black on the breast. Juveniles are dark brown on the head and breast. Beware that some hybrids with Red-naped occur, and might be best left unidentified. Breeds in coniferous and mixed forests, descending to lower elevations in winter, as far south as northern Baja. Like other sapsuckers, drills rows of sap wells into tree bark. Listen for irregular drumming (like morse code) and various nasal calls.

A fairly large bulbul of forest and forest edge on Camiguin, where it is unmistakable. Dark olive-brown with a pale bill. Forages actively, often in large, vocal flocks. Song consists of a descending series of medium-pitched notes, jumping back to a higher note at the end. Also gives harsh grating calls and nasal screeches.

Small shy warbler. Dull brown with a paler belly and brow stripe. Like most bush-warblers, difficult to see as it moves through dense foliage. Listen for its sweet song, consisting of a few introductory notes followed by two long whistles: “ti-ti-tchew weeeeee-cheeeeee’. Visually very difficult to separate from Yellowish-bellied Bush Warbler and Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler, and differences are extremely subtle. Himalayan breeders average more greenish on the back than either of the other two species, and have a strong yellow wash on the belly; Brownish-flanked, with which Aberrant overlaps in the eastern Himalayas, is much browner overall. In central China, Aberrant overlaps with Yellowish-bellied, which has a pale gray throat instead of a yellowish-buff one. Aberrant breeds in shrubby edge, bamboo stands, and open bushy areas in montane and hill areas; upper altitudinal limit averages higher than both Yellowish-bellied and Brownish-flanked.