Kidepo Lark

Scarce bird of tropical forest and woodland, from lowlands to highlands. Usually seen as singles or pairs at middle to upper levels, especially at fruiting trees; often travels with mixed-species feeding flocks of tanagers, orioles, warblers, etc. Tends to perch rather upright and quietly, easily overlooked. Male striking: gray, black, and white; no similar species in Mexico. Female is smaller than female Rose-throated Becard, with short pale eyebrow, contrasting wing and tail patterns (note graduated tail feathers). West Mexican female has rusty cap; elsewhere cap is blackish.

A drab Galápagos finch with a stretched-out-looking bill. It has tan upperparts and pale whitish or yellowish underparts that may have a small amount of streaking. A small number of birds on San Cristóbal have dark hoods. Stout and elongated bill is pure black on breeding male, partly black on non-breeding male, and pale orange on female. Best identified by bill shape and behavior. It creeps along branches peering around for and probing into cavities, and it sometimes taps like a woodpecker. One of very few tool-using animals, it uses twigs and thorns to extract prey from holes in branches. Found on most islands but absent from Española, Genovesa, Marchena, Pinta, Darwin, and Wolf.

A highly variable species that seemingly changes its appearance on every island. Generally green or blue above and white or buffy orange below. Most subspecies have some degree of orange or buff eyebrow, most notably lacking in the Vanikoro Island population. In Tonga and Samoa, birds are much whiter, with a broad white eyebrow bordering a small greenish cap and a clean white underside. Generally coastal, preferring mangroves, but common in most habitat types to 1500 meters of elevation. Sacred Kingfisher is very similar but has a slimmer bill and is always buff below. Juvenile Sacred Kingfisher has a more scaly breast. Pacific’s most common call is a loud, harsh “kee-kee-kee-kee” often given in flight.