New Guinea Flightless Rail

Large seabird of inshore waters, often seen from beaches but not usually up close. Adult has streaky brown-and-white neck and bright blue feet. Immature has dusky brownish head and neck and grayish feet. All plumages told from Brown Booby by white at the base and tip of the tail. Typically flies and soars fairly high up. Feeds by spectacular, steep-angle plunge-dives. Breeds locally in colonies on offshore islands, nesting on the ground. Most well-known from the Galapagos but occurs extensively along the Pacific coast of Middle and South America, especially in the Gulf of California.

A very small, pale gray tern with large dark eyes. Smaller and paler gray than Brown and Black Noddies with slightly more of a forked tail. Nests on rocky sea cliffs on tropical islands, typically foraging close to shore, fluttering close to the water and plucking food from the surface in small flocks. Voice is a distinctive nasal “kearr.”

Medium-sized, rather nondescript raptor with overall dark plumage. Varies considerably across range, but always note tail fork (can disappear when tail is fully open), and short head and neck. Juvenile averages paler and more contrastingly-marked. Flight style buoyant, gliding and changing direction with ease. Frequently forages in urban areas, rubbish dumps, aquatic habitats, and grassland, but usually avoids heavily forested areas. Sometimes solitary, but also gathers in large flocks on migration and at good feeding areas.