Black-billed Peppershrike

A small, dumpy, buff-brownish flycatcher with a pale throat, a short eyebrow in front of the eye, a mostly plain crown, and indistinct mottling on the breast. It prefers thicker woodland and the edges of evergreen and riverine forest, perching at lower and middle levels and sallying to catch insects, or occasionally sitting on the ground. High-pitched “tzeet” and “tsirit” calls often betray its presence. The similar migrant Spotted Flycatcher has a longer tail and wings than the African Dusky Flycatcher, and it also has distinct streaking on the crown. The Gambaga Flycatcher is paler and mostly restricted to arid woodland.

A lithe, medium-sized bustard with black daubs on a mostly tan-colored back. The male has a black belly, neck stripe, throat, and face patch. The female is uniform buff-brown from the belly to the head. In flight, both sexes have white windows in the wings. Singles and pairs inhabit tall grassland and grassy savanna. Its strange display involves the male stretching his neck and making a frog-like “kwoork” croak, and as he retracts his head to the shoulders, follows with a “grrrr” growl and champagne-cork-like “pop” while his head lifts again. He also performs an aerial display with the wings held back rigidly and with a puffed throat exposed.

An unremarkable drab, brown flycatcher, gray-brown above and pale below. Note the pale base to the bill. Juveniles have spotted upperparts. Found singly or in pairs in understory of lowland forest and edge. Limited to Sumba Island. Differs from Asian Brown Flycatcher in being shorter-winged, with a less distinct eye-ring. Separated from the larger Flores Jungle-Flycatcher and from the more rufescent Sumba Flycatcher by its bicolored bill. Song is a soft complex of disorderly high whistled notes, ending in a weak trill. Call is a thin, high-pitched whistle, “tseeoo.”