Varied Triller

Spectacular, huge, and long-tailed parrot, wiped out from most areas by capture for the pet trade; attempts at reintroduction are taking place in some protected areas. Found very locally in lowland rainforest and adjacent semiopen areas with big trees; usually in pairs. Unmistakable, bright scarlet red overall with big yellow wing patches and mostly blue wings and rump. Calls are deep, throaty roars that carry long distances.

Among the largest birds in North America. The large-bodied, long-legged and small-headed look of a turkey is distinctive. Appears dark from a distance. Often seen in small groups in open fields near woods. Gobbling often audible in the spring and early summer.

A large gray-brown tit with a black-and-white head pattern and a black bib. Pairs and small groups favor dry coastal scrub and Karoo, particularly near rocky outcrops where nest holes are available. It forages for insects in small groups or mixed-species flocks. The song is typically a whistled “piet-tjou-tjou, tudi-tudi-tudi,” with scolding, buzzing, and chattering interspersed. The Ashy Tit is similar to the Gray Tit, but it is colder gray rather than buffy, with whitish wing edgings and a longer tail, and prefers Acacia thornveld habitat.