Arabian Green Bee-eater

Small nightjar of savanna and grassland with scattered bushes and palmettos. Spends the day roosting cryptically on the ground, but at night may be found beside quiet roads and tracks. Like all nightjars, eyes reflect amber-red in lights. Plumage similar to other nightjars, but note the pale buffy eyebrow, buffy V-shaped stripe on the back, and bold wing spotting. Male has small white tail tip, lacking in female. White spots on male’s tail usually only visible in the hand. Song is high and insectlike, unlikely to draw attention.

A small, pale-faced shearwater with the separation line between black and white on the face passing through or above the eye. Mainly sedentary and relatively shy, feeding farther offshore than similar seabirds. Winter breeding birds mainly found around the Kermadec Islands, off southwest Australia, and off the northeastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The Fluttering Shearwater can be distinguished by its larger size, smudgy brown underwing, dark face, and tendency to congregate in flocks much closer to shore.

Medium-sized plover with a long hefty bill. Breeding adults have a dark mask and orangish chest, neck, and forehead; females duller than males. Non-breeding birds and immatures are sandy brown above and white below, with a white throat and “eyebrows.” Often confused with Lesser Sand-Plover, and best distinguished when both present; look for larger size, heavier and longer bill, paler legs, and larger-headed appearance. Additionally, unlike some Lesser Sand-Plovers, Greater never has a black boundary around the throat. Breeds in high-elevation areas, where it favors arid, open habitats, sometimes near water. Winters on coastal mudflats and estuaries.