Bare-cheeked Babbler

Utterly unmistakable orange bird with a zebra-striped wings, a Chinese fan of a crest (usually held closed, but often raised just after landing), and a rapier of a bill. Favors semiopen habitats such as heathland, farmland, orchards, grassy lawns, where it feeds on the ground, probing with its long bill for insects. Flight fast and fairly direct, with rather deep wingbeats. Unlikely to be confused, but flight pattern and round wings may loosely resemble that of woodpeckers; note far longer and thinner bill. Song is a distinctive “hoopoopoo.”

A striking black-and-white flycatcher-like songbird confined to Tanahjampea Island. Black above, with a black hood and upper chest and a crisp white lower breast, belly, rump, and tips to outer tail feathers. Black areas are brown in juvenile, which has a buff belly and rump. Cocks tail regularly. Found singly or in pairs in forest, mangrove, and scrub in lowlands and foothills. Often joins mixed-species flocks. Unique within its tiny range. Song is a mournful, repeated whistle, “weeoo-weeoo...”. Also gives a rasping, agitated “grrr” and metallic, grating “weer” calls.

Brownish swiftlet with a shallowly forked tail, restricted to the Chuuk Islands, Pohnpei, and Kosrae, in the Caroline Islands. The only swift in Micronesia; only possible confusion species is Barn Swallow, which is paler below and has a much more deeply forked tail. Flies over all kinds of habitats in agile and twisting flight. Nests in caves.