Tufted Antshrike

A reddish-brown owl with a large rounded head, pale whitish eyebrows, and no ear tufts. Upperparts spotted with black-tipped white spots. Legs unfeathered and whitish. Found in a wide range of forest, mostly in lowlands, frequently near villages. No other owls occur on Palau. Voice includes a long series of deep “whok” notes rising in intensity, finishing in a sharp “quirt-quirt” whistle.

Medium-sized sparrowhawk with a dark gray back and plain orangeish underparts. In flight, the wings and tail show strong barring. Immature is brown on the back and has rufous bars and streaking below. Found in forest and exotic tree plantations, mainly in the mountains, though down to sea level in South Africa. Often hunts in open areas far from the forest. Calls are insistent, repeated whistles. Immature separated from immature Ovambo Sparrowhawk by its yellow eye.

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.