Polynesian Triller

A nondescript sparrow-sized songbird with a slender, downcurved bill. Entirely olive-green above and uniform pale gray below, but note head pattern, which includes a prominent whitish smudge on the cheeks and dull bare skin below the eye. Juvenile has a pink facial patch. Singles, pairs, or groups inhabit scrubland, wooded areas, and coconut plantations in lowlands. Confined to islets in the Moluccas and to West Papua, where it is readily identified by its head pattern. Harsh, squeaky vocalizations include “tchew” and “grrt” notes and “chi-witchoo” or “witch-oo” phrases.

An attractive, fierce-eyed babbler of tropical montane rainforest. Black head with thin, white eyebrow, white from the throat to mid-belly, contrasting strongly with remaining dark maroon body. Note the slightly decurved, yellow bill. Forages in noisy, small groups through the midstorey. Unmistakable if seen well. Calls variable, but commonly gives a soft “wu-tu” followed by a rising “whit!”, quickly repeated. Groups also give an excited chatter.

A very distinctive large, long-tailed pigeon from the island of Seram. Shows a pale gray crown and neck, an extensive reddish bare skin mask around the eye, a yellow-orange bill with a red base, a pale pinkish throat and chest, and a burgundy belly. Upperparts light gray with a subtle greenish cast. Singles and pairs occur in forested foothills, typically at subcanopy and canopy level; groups gather in fruiting trees. No similar species occurs on Seram. The call of this recently-described species is currently unknown.