Black-eared Catbird (Arfak)

Graceful pale tern with extremely long forked tail. Named for faint rosy wash on belly. Bill color varies geographically; Old World birds arrive on breeding grounds with a black bill that turns to red, while New World birds arrive with a red bill that turns darker. Similar to Common Tern, but notably whiter wings. With practice, look for shallow, choppier wingbeats to distinguish from other tern species. Widespread across the globe but local, breeding in scattered colonies, often on offshore islands. Can be found mixed in flocks with other terns on beaches, mudflats, or estuaries. Listen for harsh two-parted call "chivick."

A small charcoal-colored songbird endemic to New Zealand. Confined to the South and Stewart Islands. Favors native and exotic forest stands. Males have a more distinct separation between dark gray and cream on their chest than females. Juveniles mirror the look of a female but with less to no cream underneath. Can be incredibly confiding and curious about humans. It is possible to bring individuals out into the open by disturbing leaf litter and then sitting quietly. Actively flushes out prey with foot trembling and by flicking its wings and tail. Male song is a loud and simple phrase of notes including “pwee-pwee-pwee.”

Unique, chunky finch. Note the massive bill (steely gray in summer, pinkish in winter) and blue-gray hindneck, like a shawl on an orangey head. Broad white tail tip and white wing band show mainly in flight. Despite distinctive appearance, shy and easily overlooked. Favors mixed and deciduous mature woodland, especially with beech, oak, and hornbeam, where tends to feed and perch quietly, high in the canopy. Also feeds on the ground in autumn and winter, sometimes forming single-species flocks. Gives high-pitched “tsik!” and lower ticking calls.