Crested Goshawk

Dashingly plumaged, long-tailed terrestrial bird. Male has chestnut body, steely blue neck and wing patches, white wingbars, and a long black-and-white banded tail. Brownish female shorter-tailed, with black-spotted upperparts and red facial patch. Usually found singly, in pairs, or in trios in forest openings, meadows, and along rural roadsides, typically in the early morning.

Medium-sized rosefinch of semi-open and brushy habitats. Male is beautiful, with a streaked rich brown back and lilac-pink cheeks, brow stripe, and underparts; note namesake bright white patch at the rear of the brow stripe. Female is streaky brown above and streaky off-white below, with a rusty breast patch. Very similar to Chinese White-browed Rosefinch, but range overlap is minimal; see that species’ account. Often gives a hoarse and nasal series of ascending notes: “beet-beet-beET-bEEt-bEEt!”

Large, brightly colored, chicken-like rail of freshwater marshes and damp woodland, less often occurs in mangroves. Unlike many rails, can be conspicuous, even bold, walking in the open along the edge of ponds and rivers, twitching its short black tail; usually seen singly or in pairs. Note long yellowish bill, hot-pink legs, and gray head and neck contrasting with orangey breast. Similar to Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, but barely any range overlap, and Russet-naped has a bright reddish-brown patch on the back of the head.