Somali Lark

Flocks of these large sea ducks enliven northern coastlines. Males are white and black with a soft suffusion of green on the nape. Immature males are variable and messy-looking with patches of black and white. Females vary from rich rufous-brown to cold grayish, always with extensive black barring covering body and wings. Slight variation in bill shape and color across subspecies, especially obvious on males; Pacific birds have brightest orange bills, most others have greenish bills. Dives to feed on mollusks and other crustaceans. In late summer, look for flocks of females with dozens of ducklings; broods often join together. Compare females with other eider species, and note details of bill and head shape.

Small brown bird with finely barred front. Brown above, paler and finely barred, below, with with pale spots on the wing and rump, pale-tipped tail, and tiny plum-colored cap (male also has plum-colored chin). Found in drier grassland areas, including agricultural areas, where it feeds in the grass or on the ground. Sometimes in large flocks, mixed with other species.

A large, slender, long-tailed gray chat with bold white outer tail feathers that frame the black tail. South African races are slaty gray with grayish rumps, while Namibian races are smaller and paler with whitish rumps. This is a bold chat that perches conspicuously on fences and shrubs throughout arid rangelands, dropping to the ground to forage before flying strongly and occasionally distantly to another perch, showing the diagnostic tail pattern. The Tractrac Chat is shorter-tailed, prefers hyper-arid barren environments, and has a distinctive V-shaped black wedge in the tail that the Karoo Chat lacks.