White-cheeked Nuthatch

A tall, bold, long-legged, short-tailed thrush with gray-brown upperparts, heavily spotted white underparts, and a strongly marked face. In flight, shows distinctive large buff patches in the broad wings. Pairs and small groups occupy moorland, grassland, and open woodland, favoring heavily grazed and burned areas. Runs long distances on the ground hunting invertebrates, stopping bolt upright and flicking its wings. The song is a grating, unmelodic “lit-sit-siru-pa.” The call is a rattle of variable speed.

Medium-sized goose with two strikingly different color morphs. White morph generally more common. Adults have black wingtips, pink bill and legs, and often show yellowish staining on the head. Juveniles have dull brownish bill and legs and variable grayish smudging on body and wings. Dark morph adults are dark slaty-gray with a white face; juveniles are entirely dark. Typically found in flocks, sometimes numbering into the thousands, but individuals may be found with other geese species. Occurs in fields, marshes, and lakes during migration and winter; breeds on Arctic tundra. Compare with Ross’s Goose, which is like a cuter miniature version of Snow Goose. Pay attention to the bill: Snow Goose has a longer bill with a more curved border where it meets the face, and a more pronounced dark “grin patch” (but beware, Ross’s can show a small grin patch too!).

Local and often rather wary dove of fairly open coastal habitats, such as beach dunes with desert scrub, overgrown fields, town edges. Resembles widespread Mourning Dove of North America, but slightly stockier, with a shorter and squared tail. Feeds on the ground, but most often seen in flight, which is fast and direct, usually rather low over the treetops. Best field mark is the white trailing edge to the inner part of the wing, usually quite distinct in flight.