Philippine Shortwing

Plain but subtly attractive medium-sized warbler. Adult is gray with a black head and a white throat. Female has a less contrasting head pattern than the male. Younger birds are browner with a faded-looking version of the adult’s head pattern. Visually very similar to the Western Orphean Warbler, but the black on the head is more cleanly cut off from the gray of the back on Eastern Orphean Warbler. Also note the comparatively cleaner-looking belly on Eastern Orphean. Breeding ranges do not overlap. Breeds in open forests from which it delivers its song in phrases with an almost thrushlike warbling melody. Non-breeding habitats include open scrubby habitats, such as thornscrub and semidesert.

A small old-world warbler that occurs only on Nihoa and Laysan in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Unlikely to be confused with any other species; the only other passerines on those islands are finches. Does not occur on the main Hawaiian Islands. Prefers dense, low vegetation. Usually secretive and hard to see well, but males sometimes sing from an exposed perch. Song and calls are harsh chirps and churring.

A very rare Hawaiian honeycreeper of high elevation wet forests on eastern Maui. The thick, parrotlike bill used to tear and crush stems in search of insects and larvae is diagnostic. Most often seen in the understory moving slowly and deliberately among branches. Song is series of paired notes: “chewy-chewy-chewy.” Two-note “chu-wee” call is louder and lower pitched than that of ‘amakihi.