Noronha Vireo

Medium-sized screech-owl with a black-bordered facial disc, dark crown, and small but prominent ears tufts. Three morphs are quite variable in plumage, but the brown morph has dark eyes and the rufous and gray morphs have yellow eyes. Very similar to Long-tufted Screech-Owl, but is larger. Found in lowland humid forest and forest edges preferring areas with dense understory.

Extraordinary short-tailed swift with weak, fluttery, bat-like flight. Note the pale underparts and white rump patch. Seen on the wing over woodland, gallery forest, and moist savannah, especially miombo. Often in areas with baobabs, which are favored nesting sites. Usually solo or in pairs. Range does not overlap with that of the similar Sabine’s Spinetail. All other swifts have a longer tail.

Streaky brown bird of fields, scrubby edge, and dense thickets. This large but retiring warbler is most often seen as a flash of chestnut rump and long, trailing tail as it flushes from close proximity. Occasionally perches out into the open, sometimes even on telephone lines. Warm brown with black streaking all over; size, shape, and habitat distinguish this species from similarly-colored cisticolas, prinias, and babblers. Song usually starts off with a few sharp introductory notes, then descends into jumbled, rich warbling. Gives “piht” calls, often repetitively.