New Caledonian Goshawk

A fairly small bird of montane forest on Mindanao. Olive on the upperparts, darker in the wing and tail, with a blackish mask, dingy yellow underparts, and a pale gray throat. Usually found in mixed-species flocks with Cinnamon Ibon, Mountain White-eye, and Black-and-cinnamon Fantail. Similar to Yellow-bellied Whistler, but usually found at higher elevations, and has a thinner bill and dark mask. Gives a musical whistle and also a harsh grating call.

A large gray-brown tit with a black-and-white head pattern and a black bib. Pairs and small groups favor dry coastal scrub and Karoo, particularly near rocky outcrops where nest holes are available. It forages for insects in small groups or mixed-species flocks. The song is typically a whistled “piet-tjou-tjou, tudi-tudi-tudi,” with scolding, buzzing, and chattering interspersed. The Ashy Tit is similar to the Gray Tit, but it is colder gray rather than buffy, with whitish wing edgings and a longer tail, and prefers Acacia thornveld habitat.

A rather small, demure understory denizen resembling a cross between a robin and a flycatcher. Mostly dull brownish-olive with a rusty rump and a paler throat and belly. Juvenile is more mottled. A local and endangered bird found singly and in pairs in thick undergrowth of primary and secondary forest, thickets, and coffee plantations, resident in a narrow range along the Angolan escarpment between 810 and 1300 meters of elevation. Sits for long periods, sallying to catch insect prey. Calls include a soft series of descending whistles. May be mistaken for a flycatcher, but its furtive nature and preference for thick understory are unique within its range.