Slaty-breasted Rail

Medium-sized slender bird, pale gray above, white below, with a small dark bridge between the bill and eye (lores) and faint partial white eyering. Immature lacks distinct mask of Black-faced Cuckooshrike. Dark morph shows large but variable black bib and breast, mottled or barred at the edges. Inhabits eucalypt forest and other woodlands in Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. Call a high-pitched, two-note squeak.

Both sexes look like a dark-colored female Mallard. Bill of male is dull yellowish; bill of female is mottled orange and black, like a typical Mallard. In flight, bright white underwings contrast with dark body. Note distinct white stripe in front of iridescent panel on upperwing, compare to Mottled Duck (limited range overlap). Usually in pairs or small flocks; wary in most areas, but in some city parks and urban settings has become fairly tame. In some areas of sw. US, hybridizes with Mallard, producing birds with variably intermediate features.

Small cuckooshrike with a restricted range, found only on the Palau Archipelago. Males are mainly gray with a black patch on the face, black tail, and black on the wings. Females have a gray back with buff fringes on the wing, and buff underparts with fine scaling. Found mainly in dense forest, and sometimes also in more scrubby vegetation. One frequent vocalization is an upslurred whistle. Distinctive within its small range.