Crested Becard

Small. Greenish-yellow above and brighter yellow below, with a broad, bold white eye-ring. Mostly inhabits forested areas, but common in open scrub and gardens. Silvereye is similar but has a dark gray back and peachy-buff underparts. Yellow-fronted’s common call is a high-pitched “tzeep-tzeep,” repeated frequently.

Tiny and active sunbird of forest edges and open woodlands, endemic to the South Moluccas and Kai Islands. Male is olive above, with an extensive iridescent blue-black throat and a black breast and belly. Female is olive above, with a bright yellow eyebrow and underparts. Compare with the more uniformly iridescent black male and the gray-headed, plainer female of Black Sunbird. In both sexes, note white tail edges that are flared out in flight. Gives descending “chew” calls, sometimes in accelerating series, as well as a fizzy song. Formerly grouped with other, closely related species under “Olive-backed Sunbird.”

Small thrush-like bird with distinctive black-and-white tail pattern that is striking in flight. Breeding male has a black face, throat and wing, gray back and crown, and white underparts. Breeding female is duller, with a brownish crown and back, and usually a speckled blackish face and throat. Nonbreeding and immature birds are duller overall, though males retain their distinctive black throat. Breeds in the Atlas Mountains of northwest Africa, in areas of bare rock and short grass. Migrates south into the Sahel, where it spends the non-breeding season in a variety of open habitats such as grasslands and barren rocky plains. Tends to stay on the ground or on low perches. Jumbled-sounding song is quite variable, often including whistles, trills, and mimicry. Similar in appearance to Northern Wheatear, though male Atlas Wheatear is usually separated by its black throat. Separating females during migration and on the wintering grounds is usually difficult. Female Atlas Wheatear has a black “wingpit” and front part of the underwing, but this is hard to see in the field.