Abbott's Starling

A dapper slate-colored flycatcher with a distinctly pale throat and eyebrow, often found at the forest’s edge along roads, in clearings, and even in farmlands. A widespread but sometimes overlooked resident, sometimes occurring up into the mountains, that builds its own nest inside old abandoned weaver nests. Can be confused with other African flycatchers, but note Dusky-blue Flycatcher’s upright posture, habitat, and pale throat and lores. Song is variable, consisting of clear whistles and other calls given in groups of 2-10 notes. Calls include high-pitched “sip sip” and buzzy “zrt” notes.

A fairly small bird of lowland and foothill forest understory. Male has deep-blue upperparts, head, and chest and a white belly. Told from Black-naped Monarch by its black mark between the eye and bill and from Celestial Monarch by its shorter, bushy crest. Female is told from other monarchs by its gray-blue upperparts. Song is a series of clear piping notes, increasing in volume. Also gives a 2- to 3-note call of sharp rasping notes with the first note higher-pitched.

An East Asian teal-like duck. Males are distinctive, with an iridescent head that flashes green and copper, a silvery body with distinct scalloping, extremely long curved tertials, long pale scapulars, and a triangular white throat patch outlined in dark green. Brownish females resemble female Gadwall but have a dark bill. Breeds in northern interior marshes and winters on rivers, lakes, and coastal wetlands, often in flocks with other ducks.