Comoro Blue Vanga

A small brown bird with a heavy blue bill, rufous underparts, and white spotting across the head, back, and breast. The pale buff rump is conspicuous in flight. Found in tall grassland, bamboo, savanna, and forest edges, often in pairs or small flocks. The calls are metallic “veek” and “vik” notes. The song is a fast, high-pitched metallic jumble of notes. Similar to Streak-headed Munia but paler overall, especially on the underparts, and shows large white spots across the back. Somewhat similar to Black Mannikin, but paler, with abundant white spotting.

A small green songbird with a bright yellow head and a distinctive orange forehead smudge. Gray belly separates yellow throat and yellow base to undertail. Adults dark-eyed, juveniles pale-eyed. Pairs and groups inhabit dry, open areas in the lowlands and lower hills, such as savanna, scrub, forest patches, and thickets, avoiding dense forests. Restricted to the Lesser Sundas. Separated from Lemon-bellied, Ashy-bellied, and Warbling White-eyes by lack of a white eye-ring and presence of an orange forehead patch. Song is a descending stuttering warble. Also gives jarring churrs and twittering notes.

Small, long-tailed, rather wrenlike bird of scrubby second-growth thickets and overgrown clearings. Typically rather skulking and heard much more often than seen. Distinctive song is a sneezy “whit’chew” or “whi-whi whit’chew” (“pleased to MEET you!”). Bright rusty breast blends into bright rusty wings and sets off black collar at base of throat. Long, spiny tail and wings lack the dark barring shown by wrens.