Striped Wren-Babbler

This recently described species is known only from a small area of the eastern Andes in northern Peru. Male has a bright red cap and candy-cane striped underparts. Female is very dull with olive upperparts and pale yellow lower underparts; breast is olive with faint white streaks. Very similar to Striolated Manakin, but male has yellow (not red) on the sides of the breast, and red crown does not extend to nape. Females are almost identical. Inhabits lower levels of foothill cloud forest. Call is an inflected squeak given at regular intervals.

Large, upright, blackish bird with a long, deeply-forked tail and tuft of feathers on the forehead. Typically found in pairs, often in mixed flocks, within the understory of humid forests in the lowlands and foothills of Sri Lanka’s Wet Zone. Lacks rackets, unlike similar Greater Racket-tailed Drongo. Tuft of feathers above the bill is absent in similar Ashy and Black Drongos. Tail shape an important feature: deeply-forked with curled up tips to the outer tail feathers unlike other drongos. Very vocal, with varied repertoire, including a repetitive “whichitu-whichitu-whichitu”, and metallic “kerplee”, as well as complex whistles, bell-like calls, and scratchy notes.

Conspicuous medium-sized hawk with broad paddle-shaped wings that pinch in close to the body. When perched it is easily distinguished from other species by small black crest on the back of gray head and enormous yellow eyes, prominent brown stripes on white belly. Often found in suburban areas. Crashes into foliage to snatch insect prey. Has distinctive "mee-choo" call.