Santo Thicketbird

A large, chunky, thickset weaver. The male is chocolate-brown with red legs and a hefty vermilion bill; the female and juvenile are paler and streaky underneath, with paler bills. In flight the species shows striking white wing patches. Family groups prefer dry woodlands with large trees that hold their sprawling and messy communal nests. Buffalo-Weavers forage on the ground in small to large groups, often in association with starlings and other birds, searching for insects, seeds, and fruit. Their odd electronic-sounding vocalizations often draw attention to them. The similar White-billed Buffalo-Weaver does not have a red or pinkish-orange bill.

A short-tailed parrotbill with a bulbous orange head, found in hill and submontane forests. Brown above and white below. Very similar in appearance to the smaller Pale-billed Parrotbill; look for the latter’s short black eyebrow. Confusingly, both species are often found alongside one another in mixed flocks, typically with White-hooded Babblers. Gives chirps, squeaks, and mews frequently as it moves through bamboo thickets; also gives a distinct song composed of whistled notes.

A little known, medium-sized ground dove of foothill and lower montane forest. Dark body with purplish sheen on the upper back and shoulders, distinctive white throat, chest, and eyebrow. Some females appear to be duller versions of the male, while others resemble the juvenile with no white. Nomadic and feeds on the ground, including on seeding bamboo. Male-type unmistakeable. Juvenile-type similar to Bronze Ground Dove, but White-bibbed is larger and longer tailed. Voice a series of deep, flat “hoop-hoop” notes, and a froglike croak.