Gray-hooded Sunbird

A large songbird with a notably long, heavy bill. Uniform olive-green above except for diagnostic striking yellow final third of tail. Head olive with a thin yellow line between the bill and the eye. Underparts uniform yellow. Small groups inhabit forests, edges, and plantations, occurring from sea level to the foothills. Confined to the islands of Seram and Ambon. No other species in range shows a bold bicolored tail. Song consists of strident high-pitched whistles, descending on the final notes: “WEE-WEE-WEE-WEE-WOO-WOO.” Also gives soft chattering calls and raspy notes.

Magnificent dark antshrike of mature upland rainforest. Has a large head with a crest and strongly hooked bill. Males are slaty gray with fine black barring; females are tawny orange with fine black barring. Larger than most other antshrikes and antbirds in its range. Forages singly or in pairs in open understory, and seems to be somewhat rare throughout its range. Its song is a gradually rising series of low whistles given at a steady pace.

Common but often overlooked in a variety of wetland areas including freshwater marshes, rice fields, and damp grasslands. Sometimes encountered crossing dirt roads and trails. Mostly brown above and gray below, but dark centers on the back feathers give it a streaked look. The song is very loud: a long rolling “purrl”.