Sunda Frogmouth

A tiny brown owl of mountains and foothills; descends into valleys and lowlands during the winter. Appears in both rufous and gray morphs, both dark above and white below with long, distinct streaks on the flanks. Tooting song, often given during the day, can be mistaken for that of a barbet, but the Collared Owlet song has four discrete notes, with the second and third notes given close together.

Small, grayish-brown sandpiper. Typically shows relatively short, blunt-tipped bill, but this varies across the breeding range: western populations are shortest-billed, eastern populations are longest, and females have longer bills than males! Also note blackish legs, although they can appear dull gray or greenish. In breeding plumage, fairly pale grayish brown, sometimes with brighter rusty cap and cheek. Nonbreeding is plain gray above and white below. Juveniles have attractive scaly pattern on upperparts, and variable coloration: usually grayish with some buffy areas, occasionally brighter rufous. Most similar to Western and Least Sandpipers. Western averages slightly larger and longer-billed, with brighter rufous on breeding adults and juveniles; nonbreeding birds paler but extremely similar to Semipalmated. Least Sandpiper is darker and browner. Breeds on high Arctic tundra. Migrates to South America for the winter; very rarely lingers in the U.S. past November, unlike Western Sandpiper. Usually found in flocks, sometimes in very large numbers. Prefers open mudflats, but also found in marshes and beaches.

A small, gemlike, woodland species usually found in pairs. Its rather large head, long bill, and short tail create a unique profile. Also note the shimmering green upperparts and red throat. No similar species occur within its range. It usually hunts from low-to-middle level perches, sitting nearly still before leaping upwards to snatch prey. Vocalizations include a scratchy “zheh,” given in series at a rate of about one per second and a brief rapid rattle.