Lemon-throated Leaf Warbler

A large finch of extreme conditions, this is a breeder of sparsely vegetated, often barren environments such as glacier and cliff edges, rocky slopes, scrubby open meadows, and boulder fields; descends into open or scrubby habitat in the winter. Male is dark streaky brown with a crimson face and breast; female is streaky brown all over with no hint of a facial pattern. Large size and habitat serve to distinguish this from similar species.

Distinctive black and white woodpecker with two large white stripes on the face. Males have a yellow crown and no red plumage elements. Patterning varies across range, with varying amounts of black on the back and sides. Shy and retiring, found in old coniferous and mixed forests, especially with spruces and lots of dead trees. Often forages by stripping bark off trunks to find the invertebrates underneath. Gives a hard, yapping chip, as well as a rattled series.

Medium-sized drab brown endemic of Micronesia’s Caroline Islands, where it inhabits a range of habitats, from native forest to degraded coastal scrub and patches of tall grass. Capable of persisting on even tiny coral atolls if there is sufficient vegetation. Often forages in dense bushes or grasses, but also ventures onto the ground and into the treetops. Song is a rather pleasant series of whistles, warbles, trills and chatters, often with repeating notes.