Blue-faced Rail

Brown babbler with a pale belly and reddish eyes. Bicolored crown is rusty red towards the front and black towards the back. Unscaled rufous forecrown, faintly gray-streaked breast, and slightly larger size set it apart from Scaly-crowned Babbler. Moves through the middle level of forests, often as part of a mixed flock. Favors lowland habitat on Southeast Asian mainland and middle-elevation areas on Sumatra and Borneo. Song is a series of pretty, musical whistles: “weee hoo-wee-weeee weeee.”

A fairly small and slim weaver with a relatively slender bill. Breeding male is distinctive, with bright yellow overall plumage and a black-and-chestnut bib. Females and non-breeding males are much duller, but show streaking on the back and usually a pale base to the dark bill. Found in a small range in central Tanzania, in reedbeds along rivers, often in flocks. Nests colonially. Plumages other than the breeding male’s can be hard to separate from other weavers, especially Vitelline Masked-Weaver, but can be cautiously identified by their dark back, by their less yellow overall coloration, and by range. Vocalizations are typical of weavers: “chek” notes and a sizzling “radio static” song. 

This laughingthrush’s color palette is simple but smooth and unique: dark gray overall with a black face and pumpkin-orange neck and vent. Favors forest edge and scrubby habitat more than most other laughingthrushes in its range; also often found along rivers and in reedbeds. Forages on or near the ground; flocks in the non-breeding season. Gives loud whistles and burbling phrases, as well as harsh chattering and rasping notes.