Black-browed Reed Warbler

Both sexes look like a dark-colored female Mallard. Bill of male is dull yellowish; bill of female is mottled orange and black, like a typical Mallard. In flight, bright white underwings contrast with dark body. Note distinct white stripe in front of iridescent panel on upperwing, compare to Mottled Duck (limited range overlap). Usually in pairs or small flocks; wary in most areas, but in some city parks and urban settings has become fairly tame. In some areas of sw. US, hybridizes with Mallard, producing birds with variably intermediate features.

Small migratory songbird of mature forest with distinctive orange breast and dull brown upperparts. Sticks to undergrowth in both montane breeding grounds and lowland wintering grounds, though presence in the former may be given away by its loud song: a trill following a single introductory note. Forages on the ground and prefers to stick to shady areas. Occasionally found in parks and gardens on migration.

A small, brown, nondescript swift with a shallow tail fork. Upperparts are darker brown than the underparts, while the rump is marginally paler. Very similar otherwise to the more widespread Asian Palm-Swift, except that Indian Swiftlet lacks the latter’s longer, deeply forked tail. Mostly seen in the hills, where it breeds in caves, but can disperse to the plains during monsoons or immediately after summer showers, hawking insects in mixed flocks of swifts.