Madagascar Lark

Rapidly declining dainty bustard of tall grassland. Male is black with a speckled brown back and white wings, while female is intricately patterned in buffy brown all over. Retiring and seldom seen outside of the breeding season, when the male’s extravagant leaping display flight frequently brings it above the grasses and into view.

A medium-sized, rather robust and long-tailed warbler, with a noticeably stout bill. Variable plumage, from bright adult males with extensive yellow throat to extremely dull grayish-brown immature females. Always look for two white wingbars, diffuse streaking on the sides of the breast, large bill, and long narrow tail with a shallow notch. Well-named: almost always found in pine trees throughout the year. In spring and summer, listen for loud musical trill (compare with Chipping Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco). Occasionally visits feeders, especially for suet. A short-distance migrant, wintering entirely in the United States.

A medium-sized woodland species that prefers moist forests where it typically “flycatches” from perches in thick foliage beneath the canopy. Note its bright rusty tail and the extensive rust on its wings. The Sad Flycatcher is much smaller-bodied and smaller-billed and lacks the rusty tail and wings. The similar Stolid Flycatcher is also smaller-billed and smaller-bodied with more limited rust on tail and wings. Rufous-tailed Flycatcher has a darker gray head and chest than either Sad or Stolid Flycatchers. Vocalizations include a slightly squeaky, emphatic “or-will,” a whistled “pi-pi-pi-pi-pee-pee-pee-pee,” and a harsh squeaky “pew” given in series, plus brief emphatic twitters.