Emei Shan Liocichla

Distinctive gray bird with a pale eye, streaked throat, rufous vent, and large white patches on the tail. Found in a variety of habitats with thick shrubs, including fynbos, karoo, semi-desert, and savanna. A fairly skulking species that is usually detected by voice: an exuberant mixture of ratcheting notes, chatters, and whistles. Similar to Layard’s Warbler, but easily distinguished by rufous vent and more heavily streaked throat.

A green barbet found only in southern India. Note the dark brown head and characteristic white patterns on its face: a white patch around the ear-coverts, a white line above the eye, and a white throat. Also note the brown neck and breast with white streaks. Immature is duller and has less well-defined patterns on the face than adults. Heard more often that seen; constantly calls “kutrook-kutrook-kutrook” in mid-day hours from all kinds of wooded patches from small parks and homesteads to wet evergreen forests.

Small, pale brown, heavily streaked cisticola. Endemic to Socotra, where it inhabits low shrublands and other habitats with significant bushy cover, mostly at low elevations. The song is a long series of dull “zit” notes, often given in flight; very similar to the song of the widespread Zitting Cisticola, which is not found on Socotra. Within its range, can only be confused with Socotra Warbler, but easily distinguished by the paler coloration and well-defined streaking.