Velvet Asity

Slim, slightly crested flycatcher with a long tail that is often fanned. The back is blue, the underparts pale gray, and the outer tail white. Found in rainforest, gallery forest, lush gardens, and thick miombo. Often joins mixed-species feeding flocks. The song is a long, complex mix of warbling and chatty notes. Similar to African Blue Flycatcher, but has virtually no overlap in range, and easily separated by its white outer tail.

A small honeyeater with a short, downcurved bill. Striking male shows a scarlet head, back, and rump, a contrastingly dark tail and wings, and a whitish belly. Female and juvenile are entirely gray-brown, sometimes with a rusty-red wash on the face and throat. Females and immatures may be confused with Dusky Myzomela, but that species is larger, darker, and lacks red. Males on Obi have a reddish breast, and may represent a separate taxa. Found singly or in pairs at upper levels of montane and hill forest. Song is a short, high-pitched, and buzzy rising series, “bzze-bzee-bzee!-bzeee!-bzeet!” Also gives squeaky “bijee!” Formerly treated as a subspecies of Sulawesi Myzomela.

An elegant, long-tailed pheasant with burnished coppery-brown feathers. Rather secretive; occurs mostly in dense cedar and cypress forests near streams. Male has bright red patch of skin around the eye and long banded tail. Female resembles Japanese subspecies of Ring-necked Pheasant but is reddish, with shorter tail, conspicuous white fringing on breast feathers, and less uniform plumage patterns generally. Gives indistinctive, low “ku-ku” calls while foraging. Male makes deep drumming sounds in breeding season during late winter and early spring.