Caroline Islands Ground Dove

A slender brown owl with comically expressive golden eyes. Dark brown above and white below with long dark streaks on the breast. Its long tail and streaked undersides give it a distinctly hawklike profile in flight. Usually found in forests but occasionally shows up in small parks, especially on the coast during migration. Hunts flying insects at night and sometimes found around artificial lights. Gives an extended series of paired hoots.

Attractive, long-tailed bird found in the high Andes of Peru. Plumage is brown overall with a chestnut crown, speckled throat, and streaked belly. Plumage varies geographically, and birds in southern Peru are much darker below with bolder streaking. Inhabits scrub and woodland with short trees. Vocalizations have a metallic quality; they include a high-pitched trill and a series of sharp chips.

Huge albatross of the Southern Ocean; breeds mainly on Chatham Islands in New Zealand, but ranges widely. Especially numerous in Humboldt Current off western South America. Easily separated at a distance from smaller albatrosses by white back. From the Wandering Albatross complex (including Snowy, Tristan, Antipodean, and Amsterdam Albatrosses) by uniformly dark upperwings at all ages with otherwise clean white appearance (including mostly white tail, occasionally with small black markings). This combination of features is never shown by Wandering-types, and Northern Royal never has dirty brownish markings on head and body or a mostly black tail. At close range, note the diagnostic narrow black “lips” on cutting edge of bill, lacking on Wandering-types. Also note slightly longer, thinner bill and shallower forehead, which give Northern Royal a “snoutier” look than Wandering-types. Very similar to Southern Royal Albatross; best separated by uniformly dark upperwings, especially on the leading edge. Youngest Southern Royals can also have dark upperwings with very narrow white leading edge; can require close scrutiny or good photographs to identify with confidence. Range averages further north than Southern Royal, but some overlap.