Amethyst Sunbird

A fine-billed finch with a notched tail. Neatly patterned mostly in gray and white, with black wings and tail and a rufous lower back and thighs. Male has a striking white eyebrow, lower cheek patch, wing notch, and rump. Female is duller, with a less striking facial pattern; juvenile is buffier and streakier. A rare resident in the hilly Daalo and Mash Caleed regions of northern Somalia, where it prefers degraded juniper forest and other woodland and scrub between 1200 and 2400 meters of elevation. Forages on the ground in pairs or small groups, and perches on exposed branches and dead trees. Sings a typical canary-like song with whistles, trills, and buzzes. Calls include a high-pitched “tsee-wit.” Streaky juvenile could be confused with a canary, but white in the wing is distinctive. 

A short-billed bird that looks rather like a large, stretched-out finch. Dark brown overall with pale streaking on the back and flashes of bright yellow on the head and rump. Almost always seen in close proximity to the nests of Giant Asian Honeybees, from which it takes beeswax, and which often hang from ledges, trees, and cave openings. Dull color and bright head may recall some female rosefinches, but note the honeyguide’s comparatively small-headed appearance and unique behavior.

Small drab tit with the typical black-head-white-cheek pattern of most tits. Darker-flanked and with a patchier "bib" than similar Black-bibbed Tit. Found in mid- to high-elevational hill and montane forests, often in areas with pines. Like many other small tits, an active forager, hovering and clambering about on thin branches, sometimes in mixed flocks. Gives a wide range of different vocalizations, including nasal and chipping call notes. Song includes nasal notes and a repeated high “tseep”.