Bronze-tailed Starling

A pretty and distinctive bird that always lacks the long tail streamers possessed by some paradise-flycatchers. Note the rufous back and tail and the gray underparts. Males and females differ slightly: males have a black cap and a blue eye-ring, whereas females have a dark-gray cap without a distinctive eye-ring. Fairly common on Reunion in all types of humid forest. Rare on Mauritius in remnant rainforest patches. Calls include a tearing “sree-sreeet” and an agitated twittering. The song is a long musical series of “twee” notes.

Breathtakingly majestic inhabitant of high and remote mountain ranges, where they build large nests on cliff ledges or in caves. Even as a distant speck, this is an unmistakable raptor, with an almost albatross-like wing shape and span, coupled with a long diamond-shaped tail. Adults are orange-rust below with a dark underwing, and slate gray above. The young are gray with a dark head. Cruises along ridgetops on flat wings, sometimes arched downwards.

Medium-sized, streak-backed cisticola of uplands. Shows a rufous cap and rufous in the wing. Varies geographically in overall coloration, boldness of streaking on the back, and other traits. Found in grassland and savanna on rocky slopes with a mix of bushes, grass, and often aloes. Generally inconspicuous; seen singly or in pairs. Vocalizations include a short, explosive, accelerating trill, and rising wails. Very similar to Red-headed Cisticola, but has a different voice, a larger bill, more buffy underparts, and shows rufous in the wing. Also similar to Rattling Cisticola, but has more rufous in the face and a longer tail. As with all cisticolas, habitat and voice are important cues in identification.