Gray-headed Bristlebill

Cryptic heron of freshwater marshes in tropical lowlands. Usually in areas with tall grasses or rushes, rarely in open situations. When alarmed, often freezes motionless with neck upstretched. The neck is finely barred horizontally, but the body plumage is vertically streaked (not horizontally barred and banded, as on immature tiger-herons). Compare with immature night-herons, which have streaked, not finely barred necks.

A chunky finch of upper montane forest edge and shrubby borders of subalpine grasslands. Brown head, brown back and wings, and red rump. Male has an orange-yellow bill and reddish belly. Female has an orange-yellow lower bill, dark upper bill and reddish sides. Juvenile has a brown belly and all dark bill. The adults are distinctive in their habitat. Juvenile Snow Mountain or Alpine Munias are also brown with a gray bill, but the juvenile Mountain Firetail is chunkier with a red rump. Voice, a strange rasping, squeaking song and a nasal “wek”.

A large and stocky black drongo with glimmering blue iridescence on the wings, breast, and neck. Note triangular tail with flaring tips that curl out sideways and a large, curved bill with which it crushes insects and probes for nectar. Long, thin, hair-like feathers on its forehead, present only in some subspecies, may be visible at close range. Birds in Java and Sulawesi have white eyes. Encountered singly or in small flocks; also joins foraging flocks with other species. Found in a wide range of forested habitats, where it often uses exposed perches. Calls include a varied jumble of various harsh screeches, nasal yelps, metallic sounds, and beeps.