Seychelles Parrot

Small pale lark, usually seen foraging on the ground in open areas with scattered low vegetation, cultivated fields, or at roadsides. Keeps low to the ground, runs quickly. Short bill and rounded head; long tertial feathers largely hide the wings at rest. Dark patch at the neck sides and largely unstreaked belly distinctive in most plumages. Drifting, hovering song flight delivered with tail folded.

A slender lark with a sharp, straight dagger-like bill, long legs, a pale eyebrow, and a long dark tail with contrasting white outer tail feathers. Upperparts are rusty with whitish feather edging, giving it a scaly appearance. Underparts are whitish with rusty streaks across the chest. Endemic to Somalia in open grassland and lightly wooded areas, often on red sand, where pairs run extensively and fly only short distances. Vocalizations undescribed. Russet Lark is similar to Somali Lark, but has a more robust bill, shorter tail, richer rusty upperparts and buff (not white) outer tail feathers; Lesser Hoopoe-Lark is plain and pale.

A fairly small dove of forest and edge from the lowlands to the lower mountains. Brown above, with a gray or pinkish head, neck, and chest, bluish iridescence on the back of the neck, a pale pinkish belly, and white corners to the tail. Note the black and pale streaks under the eye and the small triangle of bare skin behind it. Similar to Amethyst Brown-Dove, but White-eared has blue on the back of the neck and white under the base of the tail. Song is an accelerating series of rising “wup” notes.