Long-billed Murrelet

A small, fork-tailed, sooty-brown swallow with different plumages for the sexes: distinctive male has a pure white head and narrow black eye stripe; female has a mostly ashy head with white throat. Immature lacks white on the head. Pairs use clearings and edges of evergreen forest, open woodland, and cultivation. Resident in East Africa, but an intra-African breeding migrant in Zambia and Malawi between October and May. Superficially more similar to swifts than other swallows. Note the differences in flight style: flightier with deep wing beats and rapid changes of direction, as opposed to the more stiff-winged flight of swifts.

Accomplished song mimic of lowland rainforest. Dark brown thrush with yellow bill and bold yellow eye ring. Sings from a perch high in a tree, often quite difficult to see. Song is composed of imitations of songs and calls of other birds; a single individual can have more than 70 sounds in its repertoire. Found in tall forest, especially around streams.

Brightly-colored swallow with a deeply forked tail, pale orangish rump, black squared-off undertail coverts, an incomplete orange collar, and faint streaking below. Juveniles average paler and lack extensive orangish tones; may resemble house-martins but note deeply forked tail. Typically glides on stiff, flat wings, flying quite languidly with shallow wingbeats. Builds mud nests in mountains, on sea cliffs, and on buildings and other structures. Forages over open areas. Frequently gives a short, sparrow-like “twi’wit.” Very similar to African Red-rumped Swallow, but shows much heavier streaking below.