Subantarctic Shearwater

A gregarious brown babbler with a striking yellow-orange eye that is rimmed with red in the southern part of its range. It has a multitude of tiny white chevrons on the head and breast that are diagnostic. Groups occupy woodland and savanna, foraging for insects, spiders, and small vertebrates on the ground or in low shrubs and trees. This is the main host species for the nest parasite Levaillant’s Cuckoo. A dry gurgling babble “gra-gra-gra-gra-gra” is given by multiple birds, keeping the group together.

Medium-sized, plump green bulbul with a yellow belly and distinctive head pattern with yellow tufts behind each eye, white tufts above each eye, and white horns sticking up from the base of the bill. Found in small parties in the canopy of hill forests and adjacent woods and gardens. Conspicuous head pattern of Yellow-eared Bulbul differentiates it from Black-headed Bulbul, which has an unmarked, dark head. Frequently given call is a harsh trill. Song involves a series of high “whit”, whip-like notes.

Gaudy male striking, with yolk-yellow underparts and rump and black upperparts set off by white supercilium and wing patch. Female less brightly colored but still distinctive, with brown upperparts, a smaller yellow rump and white wing patch, and whitish underparts with faint scaling on the breast. Breeds in broadleaf and mixed forests, especially groves in riparian areas. Can be encountered in a wide range of wooded areas outside of the breeding season, from coastal scrub to pristine hill forests. Song is a short, thrush-like series of burry whistles.