Sao Tome Paradise-Flycatcher

Small, grayish flycatcher with a thin, white eyebrow and buffy wingbars. Plumage is variable throughout its range; belly can be white or pale yellow, and back can be gray or olive. Its crest is sometimes raised showing a white stripe on the crown, and other times it is laid flat with the stripe hidden, giving it a round-headed appearance. Very similar to Straneck’s Tyrannulet; white crown stripe (if seen) can help separate them, but voice is often the only reliable method in areas of overlap. Some vocalizations include a quick burst of dry chips, a sharp “pip, wi-di-dit”, and longer series of chirps and rattles. Prefers open habitats such as scrub, overgrown clearings, and woodland edge; not found inside mature forest. Migratory in parts of its range. Pale-bellied birds used to be considered a separate species, White-bellied Tyrannulet.

Chunky, long-tailed tan bird. Found in high-elevation arid scrub with bushes and scattered trees. Pale tan below, reddish brown above, with a fairly heavy bill. Pale throat, thicker bill, and larger size help distinguish it from similar canasteros. Forages in dense bushes and occasionally on the ground. Listen for a series of squeaky yelps: “pyeek, pyeek, pyeek….”

Highly localized weaver of east-central Tanzania, with a distribution centered on the Ruvu River. Breeding male is bright yellow, with orange-red on the face, and a dark-brown eye. The female is much duller, streaked brownish on the back and pale below, with a dark eye and a bill that is half-dark and half-pinkish. Breeds in wetlands, but ranges widely into surrounding savanna and woodland. Occurs alongside the very similar African Golden Weaver. Male Ruvu Weavers are distinguished by their dark eye, and females by their two-tone bill.