Zarudny's Sparrow

A mid-sized white barbet with red around the eyes, and a dark bill, tail and wings, endemic to a restricted portion of south-central Zambia. Immature duskier than adult. Pairs and small family groups are low-density residents in open woodland, where it is dependent on Sycamore Fig trees. The similar Black-backed Barbet differs from Chaplin’s Barbet by having a pale bill, dark back, and red and black on the crown; other pale-headed barbets lack red on the face. Call is an extended dry cackle reminiscent of a group of Green Woodhoopoes.

A graceful aerial feeder found over a wide variety of open habitats, especially near water, including marshes and towns. Often seen on exposed perches including power and telephone lines in villages. Commonly found in flocks of up to twenty birds, sometimes mixing with other swallows and martins. Note the male’s diagnostic glossy purple-blue plumage and snow-white belly. Females and immatures are similarly patterned, but have brown mixed with the blue and are probably not safely separable from Cuban Martin. Female and immature Purple Martins are very similar, but they often have a scaly breast and finely streaked belly, with less contrast between belly and chest. Notably, Cuban and Purple Martins are not present in this species’ range from March to September. Calls include a harsh “churr,” a buzzy “zwick-zwick,” and a musical buzzy burbling.

Small cuckooshrike with a restricted range, found only on Obi and Bisa Islands, in the central Moluccas. Males are mainly gray with black on the face and wing. Distinctive female is mostly rufous-brown, with unmarked buffy underparts, and a gray cap. Found in forest and forest edge habitats. Vocalizations poorly known, but apparently include a long rattling note. The male is similar to male Pale Cicadabird, but is significantly darker, with a mostly black face. The rufous-brown female is completely different from the pale gray female Pale Cicadabird.