Socotra Bunting

Handsome and distinctive. A rather compact and fairly small goose with big white face patch, silvery upperparts, and black neck and breast sharply demarcated from white belly. Breeds mainly in Greenland, Iceland, and Spitsbergen, and locally around the Baltic Sea. Winters in farmland and grassy wetlands mainly in coastal lowlands throughout northern Europe. Free flying feral birds resident locally at lakes and parks in the U.K. In main wintering areas, occurs in hundreds or even thousands; elsewhere, singles and family groups can be found among flocks of other geese. Rare but increasing visitor to northeastern North America, almost always with flocks of Canada Geese.

Medium-sized, streak-backed cisticola of uplands. Varies geographically: gray-backed and streak-breasted in the south, and rufous-backed and plain-breasted in the north. Found in fynbos and karoo habitats, usually in areas with a mix of rocks, shrubs, and grass. Generally inconspicuous; seen singly or in pairs. Song is a short, explosive, accelerating trill. Calls include a rising, two-part “chu-cheee”. Very similar to Wailing Cisticola, but has a different voice, a smaller bill, less buffy underparts, and doesn’t show rufous in the wing.

Beautifully patterned cryptic nightjar. Found mainly inside of eastern and northern Madagascar rainforest, though very locally in dry forest. Most often seen when located by local guides, sleeping on the forest floor during the day, usually below a pandanus. Apparently completely silent, which is bizarre for a member of the nightjar family. When perched, distinguished from Madagascar Nightjar by its rufous collar; in flight, by its lack of white in the wings.