Green-backed Honeyeater

A very small, pale gray tern with large dark eyes. Smaller and paler gray than Brown and Black Noddies with slightly more of a forked tail. Nests on rocky sea cliffs on tropical islands, typically foraging close to shore, fluttering close to the water and plucking food from the surface in small flocks. Voice is a distinctive nasal “kearr.”

Large, big-billed vanga with white underparts. Males have a black hood, and females only a black cap. Rare Madagascar endemic that is found very locally in dry deciduous forest in the north and northwest. Can be found solo or in pairs, sometimes in flocks with other vangas. Most common vocalizations are long, penetrating whistles and a short scold. Separated from Lafresnaye’s and Pollen’s Vangas by range. Separated from Madagascar Cuckooshrike by much larger bill and white rather than gray underparts. 

A heavily built black-and-white bushshrike. The upperparts are cleanly black and the underparts are white with a pinkish tinge. Uses habitats with a dense understory, including riparian thickets, coastal scrub, forest, and gardens. Found in pairs, which usually skulk but sometimes hop about in the open. Similar to Tropical Boubou, but barely overlaps in range and lacks a white shoulder patch. Also similar to the smaller Black-backed Puffback, but separated by the lack of white on the upperparts. Has a diverse range of vocalizations, including a hollow rising whistle, up-and-down “laser gun” notes, rasps, and croaks, often delivered in a duet by a pair.