Elegant Honeyeater

Large and powerful for a wheatear with glossy black plumage; found in rocky deserts. Only adults have a white cap. Sexes similar. In all plumages lacks a black terminal tail band; its mostly white tail separates it from other similar black wheatears. Inhabits rocky slopes and steep desert wadis. Feeds on arthropods. The male sings a clear series of whistles and trills; often given during a display flight.

Small, plump, pale plover; the color of dry sand. In breeding plumage look for thin broken black collar across chest, black stripe across forehead, orange legs, and orange bill with black tip. Nonbreeding and immature birds have black bills and sandy-colored breastbands. White wingstripe visible in flight. Notably paler than other small plovers, with the exception of Snowy, from which Piping is distinguished by thicker bill and orange legs. Sometimes seen near other shorebirds, but rarely ventures far from the high, dry side of the beach. Often quite vocal; gives a sad-sounding two-parted whistle that drops in pitch: "pwee-doo." A species of great conservation concern, due to coastal development and disturbance at nesting sites on beaches.

Large hawk-like cuckoo of dense forests, usually foraging in the canopy, where difficult to see. Adult has gray upperparts, streaked white underparts, and long tail with thick dark bars. Juvenile similar but darker brown overall. Large Hawk-Cuckoo very similar but adult averages larger, with a more elongated profile, broader tail bands, and extensive rusty smudging on the neck; juvenile lacks the rusty tone but is densely marked below with arrow-shaped marks, unlike the rounder, sparser marks of juvenile Malaysian. Juvenile Hodgson’s Hawk-Cuckoo also confusingly similar but is likewise more extensively streaked below. Gives two distinct songs, a high “kiwit!” and a rapid-fire series of piping notes.