Great Shortwing

A chunky, dingy-looking, thick-billed songbird. Upperparts dark olive-brown, with a grayish head and a pale buff wash on the underparts. Note the pale bill with a dark tip. A rare species confined to canopy of tall, mature hill forest on Sangihe Island at sites where this habitat persists on ridges. Typically encountered in small groups or pairs. Most similar to Sangihe Golden-Bulbul, but Sangihe Whistler has a bicolored bill and lacks a yellow throat and face. Its loud song consists of around four repeated phrases. Also gives “churr” and sharp “wit” calls.

A small bird of forest on Biak Island where it is the only white-eye. Olive-green head and back, yellow under the base of the tail, dark gray face, pale gray underparts with whitish throat and belly. Note the lack of an eye-ring. Sometimes associates with other small birds. Similar size to Island Leaf-Warbler and Biak Gerygone, but Biak White-eye has grayish rather than yellow underparts. Voice, an up-and-down, high-pitch, warbling song and a rather sharp, descending “meuu” call.

Large, brownish hummingbird with a long tail. Pale gray below with strong facial markings and a contrasting rufous rump; broad white tail feather tips are a key field mark. Occurs in dry forest and along savanna edge, where it visits widely spaced nectar sources and is often seen moving rapidly between them. Notably curious and will often stop to assess a person before quickly moving on; amount of white in tail is especially evident as bird flies away. Males sing from low perches; song consists of two squeaking notes followed by three faster, higher-pitched ones, given in alternation, over and over. Flight call is a loud squeak, similar to other large hermits. Best told from Long-tailed and Great-billed hermits by paler, grayer coloration and extensive white in tail.