Sibilant Sirystes

Distinctive and attractive, but a rarely seen denizen of fresh and brackish wetlands, especially with shallow water and low to knee-high grasses; also found on lakeshores with taller reeds and rushes. Occasionally seen feeding quietly at edge of vegetation, but mostly seen when flushed from close range. Flies up silently with stiff flicking wingbeats and brief glides, long legs trailing, and drops back to cover usually not far away. Note bold white spots on wings and droop-tipped bill. Related to jacanas, not closely related to the typical snipe.

Small cuckooshrike with a restricted range, found only on Yap, which is part of the larger Caroline Islands group in the Federated States of Micronesia. Males are mainly gray with black on the face, wing, and tail. Females brown on the back and rich buff below, with fine scaling. Seemingly only found in good forest. One frequent vocalization is an upslurred whistle. Distinctive within its small range.

A handsome, distinctive, and medium-sized plover that breeds on southern moorland and steppe, and migrates north to winter on beaches and coastal flats. Found mainly in pairs and small loose groups in summer, but migrant and winter flocks can be a few hundred birds. Adult is distinctive, with bold white eyebrow, and plain brown upperparts. Breeding birds have a bright rusty breast above a broad black band. Nonbreeding birds are duller with a muted breast pattern. Juvenile has buffy eyebrow and fine pale spangling above, but looks like adult by mid-winter.