Chestnut-flanked White-eye

This dove is accurately but misleadingly-named, for the male’s whole upper body is white, not just his throat; he also has a wine-red patch on the back and upperwing. Female is dirt-brown with darker back and wings. Inhabits the Northern Mariana Islands and Yap, in the Caroline Islands. Found in both pristine and degraded forest, often near habitated areas. Forages primarily on the ground on Yap and in trees and bushes on the Marianas. Coos are deep and sonorous.

A fairly large pigeon of lowland and montane forest canopy with a pale gray head, breast, and back, a rufous belly, and spotted wings. The chest and belly colors blend in the female, but are separated by a black breast band in the male, the width of which varies with race. Occurs together with other imperial-pigeon species, but differs in having a rufous belly. Song is an accelerating series of deep hoots.

This eastern counterpart of the Black-throated Thrush also breeds in montane areas and winters in lower-elevation areas on average. Males gray above and white below, with a brick-red throat and supercilium. Female paler, with more streaking on the breast and light suffusion of red on the face. Streaky and drab young birds can be difficult to distinguish from Black-throated; chestnut outer tail feathers and orange suffusion to the throat area indicate Red-throated. In areas of overlap, beware hybrids that may show features of both species. Pleasant song is simpler than that of Black-throated, and is composed of fluty whistles and trills. Calls include typical “chekchekchek” and high, thin “tseee.”