Angola Waxbill

Small falcon with distinctive male plumage: gray head, rusty back, gray tail with broad black tip. Female is brownish above, with barring on the back, wings, and tail. Note rather pointed wingtips (unlike rounded wings of Accipiter hawks), and distinct dark spotting on the breast. Inhabits open and lightly wooded country, farmlands, grasslands, and heathlands; often seen over grassy areas beside roads and at airports. Perches on wires and posts, and typically hunts by hovering, at times fairly high overhead. Very similar to Lesser Kestrel.

Medium-sized, rufous babbler with a gray hood, beady pale eye, buff throat patch, and blackish bill and legs. Gregarious, usually encountered within small groups low in the understory, or on the ground, in wet forests of the lowlands and foothills. Can join mixed species flocks. Mixture of gray head, black bill and legs, and paler buff underside identify it from all other babblers on Sri Lanka. Variety of untidy vocalizations given, including scratchy notes, whistles, squeals, metallic “churrs” and “chirps”, and chattering calls, all given in combination.

Fairly large ovenbird. Found in almost any open habitat including urban areas. Rufous above and buff below with a contrasting white throat, faint eyebrow, and a dark rufous tail. Song is a loud and rhythmic burst of “kweep” notes often delivered as a duet with wings flapping wildly. Builds remarkable mud nests on trees, buildings, and other human structures.