Kamchatka Leaf Warbler

The largest living rail in the world, endemic to New Zealand. Considered extinct until it was famously rediscovered in the Murchison Mountains in 1948. The wild population remains in the Murchison Mountains; the species has been translocated to predator-free offshore islands and mainland sanctuaries, and recently reintroduced to northwest Kahurangi National Park. Note distinct iridescent plumage, white undertail, and huge bright red conical bill that extends onto the forehead. Often heard giving a quiet hooting contact call, or a muted boom. Australasian Swamphen (Pukeko) can look similar, but Takahe are much larger, can’t fly, and have no black on wings or back.

Small, colorful barbet of lowland rainforest canopy. Plumage variable across its range: males are typically green-olive above and bright yellow below, with a crimson crown and sides of the face (but crimson replaced with black in northeastern Peru and adjacent northwestern Brazil) and variable amounts of orange on breast; females are similar but duller, often with more gray in the head. Usually found near water, around oxbow lakes, forest streams, and swampy forest; also found in secondary forest and forest edges. Frequently associates with mixed species flocks. Listen for its low, rolling song.

Bold, black fork-tailed bird with a red eye. There is sometimes but not always a tuft of long feathers above the bill. Juveniles have an unusual pale-gray plumage, but still show the forked tail. Found in all habitats with bushes and trees on the remote Seychelles island of Aldabra, including forest, mangroves, and thick scrub. Perches prominently in the open, swooping out to catch insects on the wing. Often follows Madagascar Coucals and Aldabra Giant Tortoises, feeding on insects that they disturb. Song is a repeated sequence of whistles, creaks, and rasps.