Sombre Nightjar

Male is stunning, with a metallic blue back, a black mask extending down to the shoulder, and a burning flame-orange throat and breast. Female is plain brown and very difficult to distinguish from female Indian Blue Robin (which generally breeds at lower altitudes than Firethroat) and Siberian Blue Robin (which overlaps with Firethroat only on migration); look out for the female Firethroat’s relatively brighter white throat, darker underparts, and lack of scaling on the breast. The species is shy, keeping to the undergrowth, but will emerge into the open to sing; song is repetitive and pleasant, with imitations and deeper notes thrown in. Breeds in dense, low montane vegetation; winters in similar habitat in lower foothills.

A large, long-tailed, thrushlike bird of dense forests. Note its black necklace, streaked white cheek patch, and pale band near the tip of the tail. Very similar to Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush; note dark eye and ‘contained’ (completely encircled) cheek patch. Shy and difficult to see well. Usually found in small flocks in wet lowland and hill forest, often near streams. Song is a series of loud whistles, not as long or varied as that of Hwamei. Native to East and Southeast Asia; introduced to the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

Halloween-themed laughingthrush: decked out in black, gray, and orange. Combination of black head, silver ear patch, orange neck and breast, and multicolored wings are unmistakable in range. Bizarrely reminiscent in patterning of much smaller Silver-eared Mesia and Golden-breasted Fulvetta. Inhabits mid- to high-altitude forests, where it rummages around in the understory in small groups. Makes an odd rising, screaming yodel that sounds strangely like the call of an Indian Peafowl.