White-capped Redstart

Brightly colored, terrestrial songbird of open and arid regions and salt marsh from northern central Australia to northern Western Australia, with isolated subspecies near Darwin and on the coast near Rockhampton, Queensland. Olive above, rich bright yellow below, with yellow head and small black chest patch. In flight, back is the same tone as the wings and contrasts with the yellow uppertail. Females plainer, with yellowish underparts, grayish face, and pale eye.

Dark-bodied with a creamy face. About the same size as Mallard. Overall color is darker than female Mallards and paler than American Black Duck. White bars in wing are very narrow, and may not be noticeable. Males have bright yellow bill, females have duller olive bill. Inhabits wetlands of Florida and coastal areas from Louisiana to Mexico.

A pallid, medium-small, compact lark with a pale stout bill that appears swollen and a streaky crest that is often raised. The upperparts are sandy brown with indistinct dark streaks, the face is plain with a distinct eyebrow, and the breast shows very diffuse streaking on whitish underparts. Highly nomadic; small to very large flocks can appear after rains, sometimes associating with sparrow-larks or buntings, preferring arid grasslands on plains and gravel rather than sandy substrates. The species performs an aerial display with trills, whistles, and chirps. Often it rests in shade during the heat of the day with the crest raised, mouth open, eyes half shut, and wings drooped to aid in cooling.