Phainopepla

Personable medium-sized babbler, often encountered foraging in noisy, lively flocks on or around the forest floor. Clay-colored with brown-streaked pale underparts. White brow and throat contrast with buffy cheeks and a rusty-orange crown. Occurs from lowlands up into hilly and mountainous forests. Song can be a distinctive series of two to three notes (“two-chee-deer!”), a more extended melodic warble, or a descending chattering trill. Gives rasping, rattling calls, often while flipping leaves on the ground in foraging flocks.

Small tanager with striking sexual dimorphism: male entirely black with bold white shoulder patch; female olive above and yellow below with gray head. Male most similar to White-lined Tanager but smaller with much more obvious white shoulder. Female confusing, could be mistaken for several other species of tanagers; always note small size and fairly thick bill. Typically found in pairs or small groups, usually with mixed feeding flocks, in forested habitats in lowlands and foothills.

Unusual starling with a highly localized range. Note the gray head, pale eye, black bib, and white patch in the wings. Generally rare in open miombo broadleaf woodland. Usually in small flocks. The common vocalization is a series of raspy scolding calls. Most similar to Wattled Starling, but easily separated by the pale eye and the white wing patch.