Lesser Masked-Owl

A chunky, short-tailed, long-billed weaver of dry country. Breeding males are mostly yellow with a black face mask, a pale eye, and a heavily streaked back. Females, non-breeding males, and juveniles are much duller, brownish-olive overall with a pale eye. Found locally in open savanna, often in small flocks. Superficially similar to the pale-eyed Lesser Masked-Weaver, but much chunkier and larger-billed, with a streakier back. Vocalizations are typical of weavers: “chek” notes and a squealing, sizzling “radio static” song. 

A cute and striking gray, white, and black flycatcher-like bird with a yellow eye, white wingbars, and a white spot above the bill base. Sexes differ: male’s chest band is black and female’s is chestnut. Pairs hunt for insects, sometimes joining flocks, in woodland, dry forest, and dense thickets. Calls include a series of 15–20 clear high-pitched “seeet” notes that slowly descend, and a typical batis churring and croaking. Male Angola Batis looks almost identical to male Chinspot Batis, but the latter prefers drier savanna habitat and calls differently; female Chinspot has a distinctive brown spot on the chin; the larger Black-headed Batis has a complete eyebrow.

Large brown warbler with a streaked back and a long broad tail. Chunkier and shorter-tailed than much larger Striated Grassbird. Clambers around the dense tall grasses of lowland grasslands; favors areas with scattered shrubbery. Reclusive and will generally not flush twice in succession. Song a springy “wee-chew, chewa-wee!”, given from top of vegetation or in flight.