White-backed Thrush

Cryptically patterned in brown and gray with a rufous collar. Most distinctive feature is male’s ridiculously long tail, up to three times the length of the body and tipped with white. Females lack long tail; look for more prominent rufous collar to help distinguish from Swallow-tailed Nightjar. Often associated with steep road cuts, landslides, or cliff faces within forests of the subtropical zones. Males roost during the day on vines or branches that allow their long tail to hang down; females more apt to roost on the ground. Most often seen at dusk, when males sing and sally out from the mountainside, flaunting their oversized tail. Tends to be found at lower elevations than similar Swallow-tailed Nightjar, but some overlap. Listen for sweet whistled song, several repeated phrases getting slightly higher in pitch.

Dark sparrow-like bird with a restricted range in the Andes of southern Peru. Dark gray with a reddish-orange crown. Forages singly or in pairs on the ground, not usually associating with other species. Extensive gray coloration and red crown distinguish it from other brushfinches within its range. Listen for its song, an emphatic metallic warble: “tseew, suweet.”

A large, dark nectar feeder endemic to New Zealand. Easily distinguished by two curled white feather tufts (“poi”) visible on the throat. Tail and wings have blue, purple, and green iridescence. Found throughout much of New Zealand, including Auckland, Kermadec, and Chatham Islands, though mostly absent from Canterbury. Favors native forest and scrub, also venturing into suburban parks, farmland, and rural gardens. Often detected by its unique voice consisting of melodious notes intermixed with croaks, coughs, clicks, and wheezes. Also listen for its noisy whirring flight. Similar to male Eurasian Blackbird, but easily identified by its white throat feathers and iridescence. Song can be easily confused with that of a bellbird, but listen for distinct loud coughs, grunts, and wheezes in Tui song.