Chattering Cisticola

A stocky, short-tailed forest pigeon. Shows a diagnostic head pattern, with yellow forehead, green upper nape, and burgundy collar. Back, wings, and tail dark brown, with gray outer tail feathers. Underside grayish, with soft yellow wash on the breast. Juvenile browner, with rusty edges to feathers. Singles or pairs forage on the floor inside montane forest. Typically runs away rather than flying. Restricted to Sulawesi island, where no other similar species occur. Gives a deep hooting call, sometimes with a barely audible introductory note: “whooo-whooo” or “w-whooo-w-whooo.”

Plump, chickenlike bird found in tundra with a mix of rocks and mossy ground cover. Plumage changes throughout the year. In winter, both sexes are pure white. As summer progresses, male develops grayish-brown feathers on head, neck, and back; generally quite splotchy. Summer female is pale golden with intricate black and white markings. Both sexes similar to other ptarmigan species, but smaller with distinctive white outer tail feathers. Generally found singly or in pairs in summer; forms small flocks in winter. Feeds mainly on plants.

Fairly distinctive for a pipit: blackish-brown above, including the wings, with bright golden feather edgings giving it a boldly streaked appearance. The chest and flanks are buff and lightly streaked. Look for the buffy-yellow eyebrow. Mostly encountered in well-preserved natural grasslands, favoring short grass areas that have regenerated after fires. Gives a series of sharp twittering notes ending with a slurred “eeeeeeeur.”