Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush

Upperparts mostly brown with white streaks. Underparts tawny-buff with brown streaks. Has bright yellow bare facial skin and a dark moustache. Found in most habitats, including gardens. Voice is a mix of mellow whistling and ringing calls, often starting with “kee-kow.”

Medium-sized tern with pale gray coloring on upperparts and white on neck and underparts. Has black cap and long pointed black bill which are separated by a white band. Tail is long and quite forked. Cap in non-breeding birds is reduced above the eye, creating a white forehead. Juveniles are similar to adults in non-breeding plumage but have light brown mottling over their back. Common along coastlines around New Zealand, sometimes in very large flocks. Immature birds can disperse in winter to southeastern Australia. Arctic Tern and Common Tern are similar, but rarely seen in New Zealand; White-fronted Tern is larger and has lighter plumage.

A medium-sized woodpecker with a streaky breast and throat. Golden coloration in the tail is shared with many of Africa’s woodpeckers, and is thus a poor identification feature. The male has a reddish crown and moustache; the female has a faint moustache and dark crown marked red only toward the back of the head. Pairs are resident in savanna, woodland, and forest edge, exploring large branches in the lower and middle canopy while foraging for insects. Often joins flocks. A nasal shrieking “wheeaa-aaaa” call often betrays its presence. Mombasa Woodpecker is smaller than Golden-tailed Woodpecker, with a plainer white throat and a distinctive call.