Bismarck Monarch

Large black-and-white wagtail with an intricately and uniquely striped head pattern. Wings and outer tail feathers flash brightly in flight. Adult male is black-backed, while the female and immature have a duller gray-brown back. Simple song is a compilation of a few high phrases of whistles and twitters. Call is harsh and buzzy. Found only around flowing lowland rivers with braided rocky sections, specifically a unique composite of gravel and sand bars with low vegetation and boulders.

Small pipit; adults distinctive with rusty-red face and throat (paler in winter), contrasting with streaked white belly. The back is heavily streaked black, white, and brown, and the rump is also streaked. Breeds in mountains and on the tundra in open grasslands and boggy areas with willows. Winters in a range of damp, open habitats, such as wet fields, marshlands, pastures, and riverbanks. Camouflaged and difficult to spot on the ground. When flushed may fly a long way uttering a far-carrying "pssiiih" call.

A subtly colored member of the swallow family. Dark brown on the back with paler underparts. The forked tail has white spots, though these are not always easy to see. The “red throat” amounts to a slight pinkish tinge. Nests in canyons, escarpments, gorges, and on human structures. Often seen in pairs or small groups. At a distance, can be confused with “Riparia” martins; look for Pale Crag-Martin’s white tail patches. Separation from Southern Crag-Martin may be tricky, but there is little overlap in range.