Rennell Starling

A distinctive chunky, upright flycatcher. Male is blue-and-orange with an entirely blue head, throat, and upperparts and a contrasting orange underside from the chest down. Female is also distinctive, with a blue tail, brown upperparts, and an entirely pale orange underside, including the throat. Inconspicuous; single birds inhabit the understory of forest, wooded areas, and patches of trees in the lowlands and foothills. Confined to the eastern Lesser Sundas. Song is a short, rapid series of jumbled rising and falling notes of medium pitch.

A long and slender cormorant-like waterbird that often swims with its body submerged and only the “S”-shaped neck protruding from the water. Adults are mostly black with white flecks and streaks. Males have a rusty neck and a white stripe running from the eye down the side of the head, which is duller when not breeding. Females and juveniles are muted and brown. African Darter is widespread in freshwater wetlands, preferring placid to fast flowing waters. Cormorants have proportionately larger heads, bulkier necks, and hooked rather than bayonet-shaped bills.

Rather large, wholly dark petrel. Breeds in New Zealand and ranges across the temperate South Pacific to Chile, where it is uncommon to locally fairly common in the Humboldt Current and fjords. Often found with much commoner, but very similar White-chinned Petrel and is not easily identified unless distinct black bill tip of Westland can be seen (White-chinned has pale bill tip). Slightly smaller Parkinson’s Petrel looks very similar to Westland, but favors warmer tropical and subtropical waters and has a smaller, more rounded head and slightly slimmer bill.