Hodgson's Redstart

Uncommon pipit found in grasslands, dry rocky areas, and less frequently in low intensity agricultural habitats. It has a heavily streaked back with a white throat and pale belly. Note the lightly streaked breast and flanks. Similar to Short-billed Pipit, but lacks the white mustache and has streaky flanks. Sings a series of buzzy nasal notes perched or in flight.

A large forest coucal with a black throat and chest and a white belly. Western populations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and extreme western Uganda are sometimes separated as Neumann’s Coucal based on their smaller size, but look very similar to eastern Black-throated Coucal populations. The similar Gabon Coucal, which has a rufous belly, replaces Black-throated in Central African forests. Black-throated typically gives a deep, bubbling, booming call series of up to 20 notes that fall and then rise in pitch. This call can be heard day or night. 

Visually indistinguishable from Oriental Cuckoo. Adult male is gray above with a black-and-white-barred belly and a dark gray tail; females usually look similar, but some (known as hepatic morph birds) have cinnamon-brown upperparts with black barring throughout. Intermediate in size between Common and Lesser Cuckoos; distinguished from both species by buffy (not white) under-tail feathers and from Lesser Cuckoos by yellow iris. Song is a series of five notes, with the leading note being sharper and more distinct than the four that follow; compare with Oriental Cuckoo’s series of mellow paired notes. Breeds in a wide range of different lowland and hill forests; also more open habitats outside of breeding season.