Strange Weaver

A small bird with a fairly long, curved bill of lowland and foothill forest and forest edge in the Philippines. Male has bluish-green iridescence on the forehead, cheek, and shoulder, and a yellow throat and chest with an orange smudge. Female is washed-out yellow below with a whitish throat. Similar to Lina’s Sunbird, but male has a shorter, rounded green tail and olive rather than blue flight feathers, and the female lacks the gray head, streaked chest, and reddish belly. Female also similar to female Handsome Sunbird, but has a dark green tail. Voice includes a high-pitched jumbled song and an upslurred, high-pitched “chuit!”

A medium-sized loon, widespread across Eurasia but rare and local in North America. All plumages have white “hip patch” usually visible on swimming birds. Breeding plumage striking with gray head, white-checkered back, and bold white lines on sides of neck. Nonbreeding plumage has fairly extensive white on face and an even border between gray and white on the neck. Smaller and sleeker than Common Loon. Larger and darker than Red-throated Loon, with straight, dagger-like bill. Especially similar to Pacific Loon, which overlaps mainly from Alaska to Japan; rarely further south along the West Coast of North America. Arctic is subtly larger-billed and often holds its head at a slight upward angle. In breeding plumage, Arctic has a darker gray nape and bolder white stripes on the neck than Pacific. Breeds on lakes in the taiga and tundra. Winters mainly on coastal bays and inshore waters; singles rarely occur on reservoirs and larger lakes.

Spectacular ground-dwelling pigeon with long, extravagant plumes trailing down from the neck. Dark green intermixed with gray, blue, and bronzy orange, depending on the light. Tail is snow-white, but only readily visible when the bird is flushed. Generally shy, quiet, and difficult to see. Inhabits small, densely forested offshore islands from the Indian Andamans to the Solomons and New Guinea.