Goldie's Bird-of-Paradise

Distinctive and charismatic little bird with a bright orangey face and breast (easily hidden when facing away). Juvenile is very different, with bold pale buffy spotting on the back and breast. Found in a wide range of wooded habitats, including forests, gardens, hedges in farmland, and heathland, usually fairly near cover. Hops perkily on the ground, pausing to look around, often flicking its wings and cocking its tail. Also feeds by dropping to the ground from low perches, snatching up prey and flying back up to a shady perch. High-pitched song is highly variable, and incorporates a range of warbles and trills. Subsong is a rambling warbling series often incorporating odd fizzing and twittering notes. Calls include a dry “tic”, often given in bursts, as well as a thin, high-pitched, descending alarm call.

A dull and poorly marked prinia with a strong bill and a long, graduated tail. Light brown above with faint dark streaking. Pale below, sometimes with some dark smudging along the sides of the breast. In some areas, breeding males become darker on the face and the bill becomes black. Found at low and moderate elevations in open dry forest, shrubby grasslands, and forest or agricultural edges. Can be retiring and difficult to see in dense vegetation. Sings two different song types: a dry rolling trill and a repeated two-syllabled “tulip.” Separated from most other prinias by its plainness and lack of contrasting head markings. Most similar to Himalayan Prinia, but there is little or no overlap in range, and Burmese Prinia is distinguished by having less streaking overall, especially along the sides of the breast.

The chunkiest and thickest-billed phalarope. Of the three phalaropes, Red is the least likely to be seen inland. Breeding females are brighter and more contrasting than males: note bright body the color of tomato juice, with black cap and white cheek. Males are colored like watered-down tomato juice, with a streaky cap. Also look for yellow bill with dark tip. Nonbreeding is much less colorful: smooth gray above and white below with a black ear patch. Juveniles are dark above and stained with buffy tones; they molt quickly into nonbreeding plumage. Breeds on Arctic tundra. Primarily found on the open ocean during migration and winter; rare inland. Usually in small flocks, but can gather in larger numbers, often in mixed flocks with Red-necked Phalarope. Red is best distinguished by larger size, thicker bill, and slightly paler, smoother-looking upperparts.