Gough Moorhen

A small, dashing kingfisher of forested lowland and foothill streams and ponds on Mindanao and neighboring islands. Overall dark blue in color, slightly paler below, with a white throat and belly, a white patch behind the cheek, and a white spot behind the nostril. Note the pale silvery-blue stripe down the back to the tail, the whitish flecks on the head and wing, and the bright red legs. Unmistakable. Voice is a simple, high-pitched “tseep,” often given in flight.

Long-winged, wedge-tailed, delicate seabird of far northern climates, nesting in open wet tundra and wintering around sea ice, occasionally moving into coastal areas. Breeding adult astonishingly beautiful: pearly gray above, rose-pink below, with coral-red legs, thin black collar, and tiny black bill. Nonbreeding adult has a tiny black dot near the ear and loses the black collar and much or all of the pink coloration. First-winter birds have blackish “M” pattern in upperwing and black tip on wedge-shaped tail. Flight graceful and buoyant.

A medium-sized bird of foothill and lower montane forest. Male has bottle green chest and yellow from the back of the neck, both of which it can erect into elaborate ornamentation during the display at a court on the ground. Long, flattened, curly tail feathers reflect blue. The female is brown above and barred below. Male is unmistakable. Female Magnificent is smaller than female parotias and lophorinas, and larger than female King, and has a blue bill and stripe behind the eye. Male gives a series of downslurred “joo!” notes, a loud ringing “jip!” or harsh rasps.