Cuban Solitaire

Male distinctive, with bright yellow head, yellowish underparts. Female is drab and streaky, usually with yellowish wash to face, and often found with bright males. Note bright rusty rump. White outer tail feathers flash in flight. A species of heathland, forest clearings, and farmland with hedges. Male sings from a prominent perch, giving a dry and uninspired “dzidzidzidzidzi.” Forms flocks in winter, feeding mainly on ground in search of seeds. A native of Eurasia, introduced to New Zealand and a few adjacent islands.

A locally common dark swallow, frequently seen above forest or along the forest edge, occasionally in more open habitats. Fairly uniform brownish-black with a unique, faintly green gloss to its plumage. Tail is short and mostly square with a slight notch. In Central Africa, overlaps with the very similar Forest Swallow, and not all individuals can be identified with certainty in the field, but in general Square-tailed Sawwing has a more flowing, swallow-like flight, a greenish gloss to the plumage, a relatively uniform appearance, and a different voice. Calls are a series of short, high-pitched squeaks and whistles.

Very striking cormorant readily identified by white neck. Locally common black-and-white cormorant of colder coastal waters. Often seen perched on inshore rocks and jetties, sometimes with Magellanic Cormorant. Nests colonially on low islands (rarely in lakes inland from coast) and jetties. Plumage varies regionally, with some birds black-faced and others white-faced; the two types breed together locally in the Strait of Magellan. Immature resembles adult but plumage duller overall, brownish above.