Eleonora's Falcon

Recently rediscovered tanager. Males are black and white with a whitish-gray bill and small white wing patch. Females are uniformly olive-brown with a darker bill. Found in seasonally flooded forests along rivers and in gallery forest, but always near water. Forages at lower levels but also perches in the tops of trees. Feeds on seeds but also has been reported flycatching. The song begins with a series of low notes and finishes with a trill: “tche, tche, tche, tche, tche, tcherrrrrrrrrrrr, tcherrrrrrrrr, tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.”

Large lark with a strong, thick bill and an obvious pale eyebrow. Thick black patches at the neck sides can vary with posture and between individuals. In flight, dark underwings with white trailing edge to upperwings are diagnostic. "Slow-motion" wingbeats in song flight make it look bigger than it is. An inhabitant of open farmland and natural steppe. May form large flocks in winter. Jumbled song consists of trills and chips, and frequently mimics other species.

A small and slender cuckoo, far more often heard than seen; the male's accelerating song, which decreases in volume as it progresses, is composed of a few whistled long notes followed by shorter, breathy notes. Adult male and typical (non-hepatic) female show orange belly, gray head, and brown back and tail. Hepatic, or rufous-morph, individuals are rusty brown above and white below, with black barring all over the body. Inhabits open woodlands, edges, and agricultural areas.