Sri Lanka Whistling-Thrush

A rather large olive-brown thrush with conspicuous orange-yellow legs and bill, a bold black brow, and an obvious yellow eye-ring. Juveniles are scaled below. Found in montane forest, foraging both on the ground and high in the understory, sometimes joining mixed-species flocks. Confined to Sulawesi, where distinguished from Geomalia and Island Thrush by presence of black brow and lack of rufous belly. Sulawesi Thrush is also shorter-tailed than Geomalia. Song is typical of thrushes: a rich, melodious, mournful song with fluty cadences. Also gives chattering calls and a high, weak “tsip.”

A large, long-tailed, iridescent blue-green to purple glossy starling with barred wings, and a round-tipped tail. Pairs, groups, and small flocks are resident in dry savanna, especially near thorn trees, where they have become common in camps and often associate with humans. The species feeds on the ground, walking with long strides and sitting low in trees, searching for insects, small vertebrates, and plant matter to eat. The similar Meves’s Starling differs from Burchell’s Starling by being bluer and smaller, with a more strongly graduated tail that is proportionately longer.

A fairly large, parrot-billed Galápagos finch. Bill is highly curved on both the upper and lower edges, and it is a bit longer than it is deep. Male has a black head and back, and a yellowish belly with a varying amount of dark streaking. Female is tan with a whitish or yellowish belly, and brown streaks on the underparts. Bill is black on breeding male, and brown or orange on nonbreeding male and female. Very similar to Vegetarian Finch, which is larger with a bulkier bill. On Floreana, also compare with Medium Tree-Finch. Found on most of the larger islands, but absent from Española, Genovesa, Santiago, and San Cristóbal. Inhabits forests at higher elevations, but some may descend to lower elevations during dry periods.