Madagascar Pratincole

Medium-sized shy bird of tall forest. Both sexes easily recognizable by thick conical bill and contrasting black head; male’s red plumage renders it essentially unmistakable. Female similarly patterned, but with red replaced by yellow and olive. Found in middle and lower levels of rainforest, especially in hilly regions and premontane forests around the tepuis; locally distributed and nowhere common. Sometimes follows mixed-species flocks. Gives thin, lisping contact calls that are easily overlooked. Male’s song is a slow, rich, inflected warble, usually ending on a higher note; distinctive once learned.

Small, short-legged coastal goose; distinctive black head and neck with small white necklace. Some variation in belly and flank coloration across subspecies. "Black Brant," mainly of western North America and eastern Asia, is darkest, with contrasting white flanks. Breeds on tundra in the high Arctic; winters in saltmarshes, rocky coastlines, sheltered bays, and beaches. Typically uncommon to rare inland. Almost always seen in flocks, only rarely mixing with other geese species.

An attractive thrush of moist foothill and montane coniferous and mixed forests. Favors areas with dense, shady understory and extensive ground cover. Combination of gray head, black wings, and orange back and belly is unique; most other large forest thrushes in its range are dark overall. Usually seen singly, but will occasionally forage in small groups. Song, as with many other thrushes, varies individually, but usually consists of short, breathy individual phrases, often whistled. Gives slick “tsk, tsk” in alarm, as well as hard rattling calls.