Grand Munia

A large pied shag with a very white head, neck, and shoulders, a bright blue eye-ring, and a large patch of yellow warty skin in front of the eyes. Breeding adult has a wispy crest. Marine, breeding on cliffs and in tussock grassland. No other similar birds occur within its limited range. Loud barking and honking are the most common vocalizations.

Fairly common; seen more readily than other large tapaculos. Like huet-huets, loud calls often draw attention. Found in matorral and other native scrub on hillsides and rocky slopes. Often perches on rocks or runs along roadsides, tail cocked strongly. Besides its large, “fat” size and shape, note big white “mustaches,” solidly brownish breast, and boldly barred belly. Compare with smaller and longer-tailed White-throated Tapaculo, which is often in the same areas.

A bulky, gray-olive white-eye with a dark crown, a pinkish-brown bill, a broad white eye-ring, and a white line from shoulders to flanks. Small to large groups join mixed flocks in forest and plantation throughout São Tomé, but it prefers highland forest above 900 meters. Its loud, rolling musical song is one of the dominant sounds on the island, but it also gives a demure chittering. Black-capped Speirops may join the same flocks as Sao Tome White-eye, which is slightly smaller and duller, without the distinctive dark cap.