Varied Solitaire

A very small gregarious species of open habitats including agricultural areas and the edges of marshes; often found in flocks of tens to hundreds. Note the black face and crown, brown wings, and long reddish orange uppertail coverts (concealing black tail) of breeding male. Nonbreeding males and females distinguished from similar Black-winged Bishop by smaller size and bill and told from Yellow-crowned Bishop by buffier coloration and more limited streaking on chest. Song is a rapid jumble of squeaky, twittering, and churring notes. Its calls include a sharp “tsit” and “tzit.”

A medium-sized bird of lowland and foothill forest canopy. Black upperparts with white in the wing and a white rump in the male, white underparts with barring in the female. Limited geographical overlap with White-winged triller, but should be separated by habitat, with Black-browed in forest rather than open habitats. Voice includes various whistles, chips and a musical, rolling chatter.

A small bird of wooded habitats on Biak Island. Olive-brown back, gray head, pale yellow belly and broken white eye-ring. Forages actively in the mid-story in pairs or in mixed species flocks. Similar to the Biak race of Island Leaf-Warbler, but Biak Gerygone has black rather than orange lower bill and legs. Gives a messy, up-and-down, out-of-tune, whistled song mixed with a few scratchy notes.