Common Newtonia

Unique, chunky finch. Note the massive bill (steely gray in summer, pinkish in winter) and blue-gray hindneck, like a shawl on an orangey head. Broad white tail tip and white wing band show mainly in flight. Despite distinctive appearance, shy and easily overlooked. Favors mixed and deciduous mature woodland, especially with beech, oak, and hornbeam, where tends to feed and perch quietly, high in the canopy. Also feeds on the ground in autumn and winter, sometimes forming single-species flocks. Gives high-pitched “tsik!” and lower ticking calls.

A fairly large, short-tailed bird of mid-montane forest canopy. Male is mainly black with a white stripe from the forehead, extending down over the bill, a bronzy-scaled chest and 6 antennalike feathers projecting from the back of the head. Note the blue eyes. The female is warm-brown above with barred underparts and a black head. The male has an elaborate dance at a terrestrial display court. Co-occurs with Carola’s Parotia but male Lawes’s lacks white flanks and female has a darker head. Female lophorinas are smaller and have a pale eyebrow stripe. The vocalizations include various rasps and parrotlike squawks.

A medium-sized starling with a fairly short, squared-off tail. The base color is blue-black, and females show a gray head and breast. The wings have a large red patch that is conspicuous in flight. Found in the canopy of montane forest. Often forms flocks. Gives a variety of sweet, whistling calls. Similar to Kenrick’s Starling, but larger and chunkier, with a red eye. Also has a shorter tail than other red-winged starlings.