Black-throated Flowerpiercer

A fairly large cuckoo with uniformly dark gray upperparts, head, and throat, with deep chestnut below. Juvenile is brown and heavily barred all over. Confined to forested hills in the Moluccas. Distinguished from Brush Cuckoo by its preference for dense habitats, and by the extension of the chestnut color to the chest. Song is also faster than Brush Cuckoo’s. Piping whistles include “wit-wit-wit-wit…” uttered at relatively level pitch, and piping notes, “pip-pip-pip-pip-pip-pipPIPPIPPIPPIPIPIPPIPIPIPIP…”, getting louder and faster by the end.

Chunky, medium-sized pigeon that has a green back and gray underparts. Also note the purple shoulders and the whitish bill with a red base. Flight is fast and direct. Sometimes alone, though more often in small groups. The species clambers around clumsily like a parrot but can remain well hidden. Found in the canopy of rainforest, secondary forest, and plantations. Most common at middle elevations. Voice is a quiet but maniacal combination of sputters, whistles, and cackles. Easily identified, as it is the only green pigeon on the island of Sao Tome. 

Distinctive crow with an ashy gray body and contrasting black head, wings, and tail. Essentially unmistakable unless seen in poor light or at a distance. Birds average paler in eastern parts of range, with “Mesopotamian Crow” of Iraq and southwestern Iran being almost black-and-white. Found in varied open and semiopen habitats from towns and farmland to open woodland and moorland. Found in pairs or small groups, not usually in large flocks except at roosts. Hybridizes with Carrion Crow where the two overlap. Gives typical crow caws, often indistinguishable from those of Carrion Crow.