Himalayan Owl

Retiring, olive and yellow warbler of savannas and grassy fields with scattered bushes or low palmetto shrubs. Not in wet marshes, unlike Common Yellowthroat. Perches on bushes and fences to sing and call, when often cocks and twitches tail, and sometimes raises a bushy crest. Sexes look alike, with a grayish crown and small black mask between the eyes and bill; populations south to Honduras have white eye-arcs, lacking in populations of southern Central America.

Long-tailed with long, slender bill that is sharply downcurved. Drab grayish-brown without any markings. Paler on throat; warmer orangey color on belly. Often hard to see when lurking in dense shrubs. Sings from prominent perches. Song is seemingly endless and complex. Forages primarily on the ground. Range restricted to dense brush and woodland in California and Baja California.

Small, furtive, ground-dwelling songbird with thin white eyebrow. Adult males are slaty above and dusky ochre below, with a bright white eyebrow. Female is duller and browner overall, with a thinner eyebrow. Breeds in montane forests, favoring areas with a dense brushy understory, such as dwarf bamboo or Rhododendron. Descends into foothills during the winter, generally in similarly dense habitats. Song is a short burst of pleasant warbled notes, and calls include a rising and mellow “wheet.”