Spectacled Bristle-Tyrant

Heavily built, flat-headed dark blue bird with a short bright red bill. In flight has a characteristic white circle, or ‘dollar’, on each underwing. Juvenile lacks red bill. May resemble mynas in flight, but note longer wings, larger head, and more powerful, less frantic flight. Nests in cavities; typically tree hollows. Frequently perches on power-lines or in the tops of tall dead trees.

Medium-sized thrush of montane forests. Looks large and bulky compared to other thrushes in range; note male’s distinctive black head contrasting with brownish-olive body and yellow bill and legs. Female is similarly patterned but much duller. Found in highland forest and second growth, generally above 800 meters, where it is often the most common thrush. Most reliably seen at fruiting trees, where many individuals may congregate; also often seen at middle levels of forest, where it may take conspicuous perches to assess an observer before flying off. Song is a halting series of phrases, many of them doublets, generally alternating between rich, low notes and high reedy ones; call note is a rich, liquid bark. Male is unlikely to be confused with other species; female could be confused with female Pale-eyed Thrush but is larger, has darker eyes with distinct eyering and a semblance of male’s hooded look.

Handsome chunky gray-brown finch with a massive dark bill, dark-brown cap, and blackish face mask extending to the throat. Female has a paler forehead and crown. Juvenile is streaky with a more diffuse mask. Ecology is poorly known but presumed to be similar to that of Arabian Grosbeak, with pairs and small groups frequenting thorn-scrub and riverine vegetation up to 1400m in the northern Somali mountains, where it is a scarce endemic. Vocalizations largely unknown, but presumed to be similar to those of Arabian Grosbeak. In addition to range, other “golden-winged” grosbeaks differ from Somali in having pale ear-patches.