Subdesert Mesite

Distinctive very dark bird with large feet, most often seen running up and down the sides of trees in dry forest, savanna, and moist lowland forest of northern Australia, where it is the only treecreeper species. Uniformly rich, dark brown, almost black, with white streaks on the throat. In flight. shows bold tan wingbars. The western subspecies (wellsi) has reddish-brown underparts. Call is a slow, repeated "pip pip pip," usually followed by a fast trill of the same note.

Medium-sized warbler with prominent pale “spectacles.” Extent of gray crown coloration is geographically variable; Himalayan birds average the darkest and Chinese birds the palest. Himalayan and Vietnamese birds’ dark gray crowns may recall Gray-cheeked Warbler, but both forms of White-spectacled Warbler have a much more contrasting crown pattern and bright yellow throats. White-spectacled’s eye-ring is broken at the top instead of at the back as it is in Golden-spectacled and Gray-crowned Warblers. Forages at lower levels of the forest, often making sallies after mobile prey. Breeds at medium altitudes in broadleaf hill and montane forest, with Chinese and Himalayan birds moving to lower altitudes in the non-breeding season. Song is distinctly broken and hesitant, slowly picking up as it progresses and ending with a variable trill; contains more trilling than Gray-cheeked Warbler’s song. Lower in pitch and more faltering, less accelerating, than the songs of Gray-crowned and Martens’s Warblers. Presence of any trilling components at all distinguishes this species from Bianchi’s Warbler. 

Peak-headed diving duck. Males have black breast, finely-barred gray back, whitish sides (often slightly dusty-looking), and yellow eye. Head appears black with a purplish or greenish sheen in good light. Females are brown overall with white patch at base of bill and yellow eye. Very similar to Greater Scaup; note Lesser’s peaked head shape with angle near the rear of crown, slimmer cheeks, less extensive white stripe on wing in flight, and smaller, narrower bill. Also similar to Ring-necked Duck, but Lesser Scaup has grayer back and whiter sides. Usually in flocks or pairs on a variety of wetland habitats, from small ponds to large lakes and bays. Slightly more likely to be seen on smaller bodies of water, especially fresh water, than Greater Scaup, but much overlap. Frequently in mixed flocks with other Aythya ducks. Widespread across North America, with more southerly range extent than Greater Scaup, regularly reaching northern South America.