Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch

An unmistakable large bee-eater with elongated central tail feathers, a green back and uppertail, and a diagnostic deep purple face and throat. Purple throat is more extensive in males. Juveniles are greener below, less purple, and lack long central tail feathers. Typically found singly or in pairs in the understory and canopy of forests and forest clearings within the foothills and mountains of Sulawesi. Call is a distinctive, high-pitched “tsiyup,” slurred upward.

Brownish bunting with boldly striped black-and-white head, bright chestnut wings and buffy wash on the breast that fades towards the vent. Endemic to Socotra, where it prefers rocky areas in shrubland and grassland. Typically encountered hopping on the ground searching for food. Pairs breed between 600–1200m, but move to the coastal plain after breeding, where they form small flocks. Song is typically a series of three or four short strident notes, “tseet-tee-too” or “steet-tsoo-steet-tsoo.”

A bulky, heavyset bird with a murderous-looking hooked bill. Very similar in appearance to Himalayan Cutia, but ranges do not overlap. Male has blue-gray crown and wing patch, midnight-black mask, orange back and rump, and black-barred white underparts. Female of southern population is much duller, with a dark brown head and streaked brown back. (Northern female has not yet been described.) Inhabits both broadleaved and coniferous hill forest. Moves sluggishly, often in mixed flocks. Song is loud and repetitive, consisting of somewhat twangy whistles and more fluid, warbled notes.