Doherty's Bushshrike

Robust warbler found near the ground in thick vegetation. Yellow below with blue-gray head and olive back. Adult males show black chest patch. Females are paler gray on the head; immatures are more olive-toned with a yellowish throat. Breeds in brushy, weedy clearings within mixed or coniferous forest. Often favors raspberry thickets. Tends to stay hidden in low vegetation, so can be difficult to see. Listen for its rolling song, “churry churry churry chew.” Most similar to MacGillivray’s Warbler, but little range overlap, and Mourning has somewhat shorter tail and lacks bold white eye-arcs. Also frequently confused with Common Yellowthroat, especially in fall, but Mourning is larger, with heftier pinkish bill, and brighter yellow underparts.

Tiny, round, short-tailed bird with a long curved bill. Breeding males are blue on the back and yellow below, with bright bare skin around the eye. Non-breeding males and females are dull olive-green. Madagascar endemic that is found in the canopy of eastern and northern rainforest. Hyperactive nectar feeder that constantly flits from flower to flower. Call is an accelerating series of quiet and very high-pitched notes. Similar to the scarce Yellow-bellied Sunbird-Asity, but has duller olive underparts and a larger, more curved bill. Smaller than Souimanga Sunbird, with a thinner bill and shorter tail. 

Plump, chickenlike bird of far northern climes; an adaptable species, residing in open tundra, forest clearings and edges, bogs, moorlands, and willow stands, sometimes even straying into farmland. Plumage changes dramatically throughout the year. In winter, both sexes are pure white with black outer tail feathers. As summer progresses, male develops rich rufous head and neck and brownish back; in winter, lacks black eyeline shown by Rock Ptarmigan. Summer female is paler golden-brown with intricate black and white markings. Female nearly identical to Rock Ptarmigan; look for slightly thicker bill. In western North America, compare with female White-tailed Ptarmigan, which lacks black outer tail feathers, has a colder summer plumage, and favors different habitats. Vocalizations include a comical nasal chuckle and various clucking notes. Subspecies on Great Britain and Ireland is known as “Red Grouse.”