Baikal Bush Warbler

Large, drab flycatcher with spiky crest. Few defining plumage marks; overall brownish-gray with slightly paler belly and faint wingbars. Bill is long with orange lower mandible. Similar to Olive-sided Flycatcher but drabber without contrasting vest. Separated from wood-pewees by crest and longer bill. Native to Mexico and northern Central America; found in mountainous forests, usually with conifers. Limited range in U.S. Often perches conspicuously and sings its clear whistled “Jose Maria” song.

Handsome large laughingthrush with a dark cap and throat. Wings and tail are coffee-colored with blue-gray highlights along the edges. Black-and-white spotting on the upper body is densest on the back and breast. Combination of dark throat and cap is unique. Moves in pairs and small flocks through the undergrowth in open forest and scrubby areas at high altitude. Listen for its often piercingly loud, somewhat disjointed-sounding whistles coming from dense bamboo or rhododendron groves.

Handsome chunky gray-brown finch with a massive dark bill, dark-brown cap, and blackish face mask extending to the throat. Female has a paler forehead and crown. Juvenile is streaky with a more diffuse mask. Ecology is poorly known but presumed to be similar to that of Arabian Grosbeak, with pairs and small groups frequenting thorn-scrub and riverine vegetation up to 1400m in the northern Somali mountains, where it is a scarce endemic. Vocalizations largely unknown, but presumed to be similar to those of Arabian Grosbeak. In addition to range, other “golden-winged” grosbeaks differ from Somali in having pale ear-patches.