Great Elaenia

Male has dark slaty-gray head, neck, and upper breast; rest of the body is pale gray, with white on the belly. Wings darker than mantle. Female lacks the black hood, and has a whitish supercilium, brownish-gray upperparts with lightly barred back and rump, and buff-white underparts with wide brown bars. Juvenile is similar to female, but upperparts barred white. Immature similar to female. Song is a series of clear, loud whistles: “pee-pe-pe-pe-pe-twe-twee.” Some notes can be omitted, or additional notes added. 

A brownish-gray dumpy-bodied bird with a long scruffy tail, a reddish back, brown ears, a brown crest, and pale eyes. Occurs in small sociable groups in forest edge, woodland, thorn scrub, and cultivated areas along the Angolan escarpment, where it is endemic. One of the most familiar and beloved birds of Angola, where it is known as the “Rabo-de-junco”. Scrambles through bushes and tangles, creeping on short legs. In flight, it appears heavy, fluttering rapidly. Calls include a harsh “chee” and twittering notes like those of Speckled Mousebird, which differs from Red-backed by being lightly barred on the breast and mantle, having a brown back, and in the area of overlap in northern Angola, having dark eyes.

Dapper little finch endemic to northern Africa, where it inhabits a range of habitats, from forested hills and canyons to coastal parks and gardens. Handsome male has a blue-grayish hood, bright white eye crescents, green back, pinkish throat and breast, and a black-and-white wing pattern (colors muted in winter). Female much drabber but shares male pattern; especially note the complex wing pattern. Both sexes have white outer tail feathers, often striking in flight such as when flushed. Song is a buzzy descending series of trills and rattles; calls include a somewhat sparrow-like “dwee!”