Speckle-throated Woodpecker

A spectacular small, short-tailed songbird. Both sexes show a scarlet cap, nape, and rump and contrasting black wings. Male has black cheeks, a red throat with a lower black border, and a black vertical line on the belly, all lacking in females, which are plain whitish below with a wholly red back. Juvenile resembles a pale-billed female, but with red confined to rump. Found in forest, forest edge, and forest patches in lowlands and foothills. Confined to the Lesser Sundas. Red cap and nape diagnostic, separating this bird from Blood-breasted Flowerpecker. Vocalizations include a rising then descending “twitiwee-swit-swit-swoo.” Also gives a high-pitched thin “tzeet” as well as harsher, shorter abrupt “tsik” notes.

A fairly small bird of wooded areas on the Bay Islands. Low crest is flattened at the front and rounded at the back. Male is glossy black with a purplish-blue iridescence. Female is medium gray above, pale gray below with brownish flight feathers and a darker mask, contrasting with the pale throat. Male similar to male Shining Flycatcher, but Biak is found in forest rather than waterside thickets and is smaller and less glossy. Often found in pairs and female has gray rather than rufous upperparts. Voice, a simple up-and-down whistled song and raspy call.

Distinctive antbird with pale blue eyering and snowy white underparts and rusty upperparts. Black eyebrow and cheek extends through neck sides and down flanks. Occurs in lowland rainforest east of the Andes; no range overlap with similar Bicolored Antbird. Most often seen in the vicinity of army ant swarms, perched on vertical branches or vines close to the ground. Several individuals may gather at a large ant swarm. Listen for harsh descending “churr” calls that might be a clue that there’s an ant swarm nearby.