Barbary Partridge

Handsome and generally common dabbling duck of wetlands, lakes, and river mouths. Sexes look alike with a bright yellow bill (duller for a short while on young birds), a plain and rather “soft-faced” brown head, and dark-mottled sides. Also note its elegant shape with a slender neck and long pointed tail. Yellow-billed Teal look somewhat similar (and often occurs in same areas) but Yellow-billed Teal are smaller and more compact with a darker head and plain grayish sides.

Smallish, dapper bird of rainforest canopy. Usually seen from below; best identified by clean white underparts, heavy bill, and upright posture. With better view, note male’s iridescent blue sheen above and female’s distinctive pattern. Moves through canopy slowly and deliberately, scanning surroundings and sallying for insects. Uncommon in tall forest; often seen with mixed-species flocks. Most common call is a series of sweet, rising whistles with the first note drawn out.

A large, plain cisticola with a reddish cap and two bands across the tail tip, one pale and one dark. Found in open montane habitats with thick herbaceous undergrowth, including forest edge, grassland, and heath, almost always in pairs or small groups. As with other cisticolas, habitat and vocalizations are important to identification. Very similar to Chubb’s Cisticola, but in the small area of overlap, Hunter’s occurs at higher elevations, and is distinguished by the softly streaked back and different vocalizations. Fairly similar to Singing Cisticola, but lacks a rufous panel in the wings. The distinctive song is given in chorus: a frantic series of spitting notes that runs up and down the scale, accompanied by simpler “cher-wee” calls.