Banded Wattle-eye

A small, sharp-billed warbler-like bird. Note the olive-green back, the yellow throat and undertail, and the ridiculously broad white spectacles around the eyes. Found in the Taita Hills of southeast Kenya, in montane forest, forest edge, exotic tree plantations, and lush gardens and scrub. Usually in hyperactive pairs or flocks. Separated from similar broad-ringed white-eyes by range. Somewhat similar to African Yellow and Pale White-eyes, but found at higher elevations, and eye-ring is much broader. Song is a subdued, chatty sequence of “chew” notes. Calls include a high-pitched rising rattle, chattering notes, and “chew” notes like those from the song. 

A long-tailed kingfisher of lowland and foothill forest. Brown head and back, orange underparts and rump, deep blue shoulder and long tail with narrow white tips. Sits quietly in the mid-story, occasionally pumping the tail and flicking it right up when startled. Similar to Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher, but Brown-headed has a brown rather than black and blue head and lacks the white stripe down the back. Song, a rising and falling (or just falling) and accelerating series of notes ending in a trill “weeep weep wewewewweewe……..”

A colorful dove that often sits motionless in the canopy. Males are distinctive, with a bright silver face and chest, a purple forehead, and a bright yellow tip to the tail. Female similar but more subtly colored. Female resembles female Many-colored Fruit-Dove, but has a bolder crimson forehead and a less contrasting green neck. Call is usually two low cooing notes followed by an accelerating, messy cacophony of similar notes.