Black-thighed Grosbeak

Tiny bird, more slender than other waxbills, olive brown above, blackish with white-spotted flanks below. Male with bright red face, female with red around eye. Cherry red rump obvious in flight. Found in arid inland Australia, in rocky gorges and hills with water nearby.

A poorly known, mid-sized coucal endemic to Biak island. All black plumage, distinctive yellow iris, straightish bill and a fierce-looking face. Found in dense forest and secondary habitat at all levels and devilishly difficult to see. The only coucal species found on Biak. Vaguely similar to Torresian Crown, but Biak Coucal is more skulking with longer tail. Quite vocal and heard far more often than seen. Call, a series of deep, upDslurred “wup!” notes given at varying speeds.

A large duck, generally common and familiar within its extensive range. Males are distinctive with iridescent green head, yellow bill, chestnut breast, and gray body. Females are mottled brown with orange and black splotches on the bill. Found anywhere with water, including city parks, backyard creeks, and various wetland habitats. Often in flocks, and frequently mixes with other duck species. In North America, females can be tricky to distinguish from American Black Duck, Mottled Duck, and Mexican Duck where ranges overlap. Those species are all darker-bodied than Mallard. A good view of the wing can be helpful, too: white wingbars on the leading and trailing edges of the blue wing patch are bolder on Mallard. Frequently hybridizes with those species, which can be even more confusing. Any bird with extensive white in the tail or curled feathers above the tail has some Mallard genes.