Guadalcanal Owl

Male is stunning, with a metallic blue back, a black mask extending down to the shoulder, and a burning flame-orange throat and breast. Female is plain brown and very difficult to distinguish from female Indian Blue Robin (which generally breeds at lower altitudes than Firethroat) and Siberian Blue Robin (which overlaps with Firethroat only on migration); look out for the female Firethroat’s relatively brighter white throat, darker underparts, and lack of scaling on the breast. The species is shy, keeping to the undergrowth, but will emerge into the open to sing; song is repetitive and pleasant, with imitations and deeper notes thrown in. Breeds in dense, low montane vegetation; winters in similar habitat in lower foothills.

Very striking and long-tailed bright rusty cuckoo, widespread in tropical lowlands and locally up into foothills. No similar species in Mexico and Central America. Occurs in a wide range of wooded and forest edge habitats. Mostly forages stealthily at mid-upper levels in trees, where can be surprisingly difficult to see. Often seen swooping across roads and eliciting a ‘wow’ reaction. Underside of white-tipped tail feathers is rusty overall in West Mexico, blackish overall in other areas.

A large and stout-billed Galápagos finch confined to the island of Española. Identification is straightforward, since the only other finches living on Española (Small Ground-Finch and Gray Warbler-Finch) have relatively tiny bills. Bill is pure black on breeding male and marked with pink or orange on female and nonbreeding male. Male’s plumage is mostly sooty-black; female is browner with pale streaks on the underparts. Common in arid areas near the coast. Often seen perched on rocks and bushes, or hopping around on the beach.