New Caledonian Thicketbird

Snappy-looking pitta with a broad egg-yolk-yellow eyebrow, black mask, coffee-brown back, and finely barred underparts. Male has a yellow throat, black crown, and indigo belly patch. Female is similar but duller, with no indigo belly patch, a whitish throat, paler underparts, and a pale brown crown. Listen for its song, a series of well-spaced explosive but mellow “byow!”s. Widely distributed but uncommon to locally common; inhabits hill and lowland dipterocarp forests, where it seems to favor dry ridges, hilltops, and limestone areas.

A small brown eagle with a slighter head and weaker beak than in larger brown eagles. A short crest gives the head a distinct squared-off look. In flight its crucifix-ilke shape is distinctive: straight-edged wings and a long straight-edged tail are most often held closed. Also occurs in pale and intermediate morphs, but dark, chocolate-brown coloration is the most common. Movements are complex, but it is mostly an intra-African migrant, breeding in the south (August to March) and occurring year-round farther north. Inhabits woodland, savanna, and farmland, hunting a broad range of vertebrate and insect prey both from perches and on the wing.

Chunky little bird of Andean cloud forest from around 800–2,000 m. Male mostly jet black with fancy golden forecrown and black horns. Namesake golden wings are barely visible when perched; look for flashes when male flies from perch to perch. Female drab olive-green and similar to other female manakins, but note yellowish belly and throat, dull pinkish bill, and pinkish-red legs. Usually quiet and inconspicuous, staying in the lower levels of the forest. Males gather in small groups to display, when they make a high-pitched note followed by sputtering and snapping noises. Also listen for single croaking call.