Javan Cochoa

Large, pale-eyed songbird of lower and middle elevations of montane forests. Male blood red with inky black head and wings and dark bill; female similar but less richly colored. Juvenile brown above, pale with dark stippling below, paler bill, and tawny undertail coverts. Birds in Taiwan and central Vietnam are much brighter red overall. Usually seen in pairs or small flocks, sometimes with mixed-species flocks. Pairs often engage in an ethereal duet: male gives a series of melodic notes, to which the female responds with a long, airy whistle. Also gives harsh, rasping calls.

One of the most common and conspicuous of the Galápagos finches. Bill is at least as long as the bill is deep, with the upper edge slightly rounded. Lower edge of bill is mostly straight. Bill is moderately stout-looking, but bill size varies between individuals, and not all birds can be accurately identified. Bill is black on breeding male and dull orange on female and nonbreeding male. Male’s plumage is sooty-black; female is brown with paler underparts that are streaked with gray. Large Ground-Finch’s bill has bulbous appearance and usually forms a ridge where it meets the crown. Small Ground-Finch’s bill is smaller and more pointed. Found in a wide variety of habitats on most islands, but absent from Española and Genovesa.

A small but robust babbler; shy and social like most of its relatives, it moves about noisily through the undergrowth in pairs or flocks. Attractive and distinctive if seen well; rufous-tinged brown with a white throat, a broad white crescent under the eye, and a cluster of scaly white speckles on the neck. Found in hill and montane forest, where it frequently joins mixed feeding flocks foraging in the undergrowth. Song is a pleasant three-note series of high whistles: “tee-dee-tah!”. Gives typical babbler chatter; this species has a distinctly wet rattle.