Opalton Grasswren

Small woodpecker with a green back and a finely speckled face without strong markings. The crown is entirely red in males and red-and-black in females. There is striking geographical variation. In most of East Africa, the underparts are spotted, while in the western two-thirds of the range, the underparts are barred. Found in forest, edge habitat and clearings, and lush woodland. Generally uncommon and inconspicuous. The call is an arresting “ka-reek,” sometimes repeated several times. Spotted birds are separated from other woodpeckers by their lack of strong facial markings. Barred birds are distinctive within their range.

Well-named: bill is long even for a spiderhunter. Olive-brown above and bright yellow below with faint streaking on the chest. Combination of large size, streaking, an all-dark bill, and yellow belly serve to separate this species from similar spiderhunters in the region. Forages actively in the upper levels of lowland and foothill rainforest. Gives moderately spaced and rather toneless chips.

Small manakin-like bird that is actually a flycatcher. Looks big-headed with a short bill and large dark eyes. Olive-green above and yellow below, with a gray mask and two conspicuous wingbars. Several subspecies vary in the brightness of their plumage and in having a gray or yellow belly. Found in humid forests, including Araucaria forests and often follows mixed-species flocks. The song is a very slow and soft “whip, pip-pip, piririipip, pipi.”