Ashy Starling

Typical scops-owl, endemic to Java’s montane and foothill forests. Favors the upper and middle levels of the forest, frequently roosting and foraging in the lower canopy. Warm brown with black streaks on the chest and prominent white eyebrows. Also note bright orange eyes. Collared Scops-Owl can be similar, but is larger overall, with darker eyes, more solid facial border, and less contrasting eyebrows. Quiet for a scops-owl, vocalizing fairly infrequently--listen for its squealing “eEEE-eeee”, which often has a trembling quality. Also gives sharper, shorter squeal calls, and a gruff “wurk.”

Not the only blue nuthatch, but the bluest nuthatch. Unmistakable, with a dark head, pale eyering, white throat and breast, and dark-lined pale blue feathers on the wings. Gives quick, sharp, nasal “tzwp” or “tzwit” notes. Clambers up and down tree trunks, often in small parties; frequent member of mixed-species foraging flocks. Favors montane and hilly forests. 

A medium-sized dark gray bird with a white eye, a black cap, and a carrot-colored bill. Endemic to the island of Reunion. Found in humid forest as well as secondary forest and forest dominated by exotic trees; now mostly confined to middle and high elevations. Often in small, noisy groups. Somewhat similar to male Reunion Cuckooshrike, but easily separated by the orange bill and pale eye. The song is an unmusical but varied series of rattling, metallic, and scraping notes, often given from a high perch. The calls include a “chek” note and a long mew.