Pink-throated Brilliant

Dark thrush of montane forests above 1000 meters, endemic to the Philippine island of Luzon. Not strikingly patterned; black with a dark brown head. Also note bright orange bill, eyering, legs, and feet. Forages at all levels of forest, picking fruit from the canopy and flipping leaves for insects on the forest floor. Song is repetitive but lovely, consisting of warbles and trills. Gives low chup notes and explosive rattling series, especially when alarmed.

Small falcon with distinctive male plumage: gray head, rusty back, gray tail with broad black tip. Female is brownish above, with barring on the back, wings, and tail. Note rather pointed wingtips (unlike rounded wings of Accipiter hawks), and distinct dark spotting on the breast. Inhabits open and lightly wooded country, farmlands, grasslands, and heathlands; often seen over grassy areas beside roads and at airports. Perches on wires and posts, and typically hunts by hovering, at times fairly high overhead. Very similar to Lesser Kestrel.

An immense game bird of open tropical forests, often near water. Beautiful and unique within its range. Both sexes have glittering green necks, dark wings, and a dark green crest which is always held vertically. Males have the classic great train of the peacocks, which is opened and held up during courtship. Females have a short tail with no frilly plumes, but shares some of the train’s green iridescence. Males gather attendant flocks of many females, and advertise with a sad-sounding “awow-woh!”, often in the late evening or very early morning.