Chopi Blackbird

A drab sparrow of dry country. Males have a mostly gray head with a rufous eyebrow. Females have a broad pale eyebrow. Both sexes have a white throat. Found in savanna and broadleaf woodland. Similar to Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow, but separated by the eyebrow mark and the smaller size. Female is similar to female sparrows such as House Sparrow, but has a longer bill and a broader pale eyebrow stripe. The call is a ringing “chree,” often given in rapid series. 

Well-named, this is truly a small hawk, although size can be difficult to judge. Look for fine barring on the underparts, darker cap, and relatively short tail. Adults are gray, juveniles warmer rufous. Lacks a conspicuous collar wrapping around the neck, as in Semicollared Hawk. Not frequently seen; often stays inside forests, where it hunts small birds. Sometimes perches at the forest edge. Almost always seen singly.

A large ground pigeon of lowland and foothill forest. Plump with dark upperparts and pale rufous flanks. White cheek with a low crest behind the head and a bright red eye. Pale legs and a long, thick, pale-tipped bill. Shy and difficult to see. Forages on the ground and often flicks its tail. Thick bill and white cheek differentiate it from any similar-sized ground bird. Call, a single, flutelike “hoo!” given at regular intervals. Sounds like blowing over the top of a bottle.