Worstbird

A relatively colorful greenbul with an olive-green back, yellowish underparts, and a rufous tail. Found in the understory and at middle levels of rainforest, usually in small flocks. Readily joins mixed-species flocks, often alongside Icterine Greenbuls. Very similar in appearance to that species and best distinguished by voice, but slightly larger-billed, with less red on the tail and uppertail. The call is a slow series of nasal barking notes, quite different from the faster and higher-pitched series of notes given by Icterine Greenbul.

Chunky, long-legged, richly colored bird. White shoulder marks are conspicuous in flight. Elusive and shy; unlikely to be seen by those not searching for it. Found in eastern rainforest, at upper and middle elevations. Feeds in the understory, usually in thick areas, often with bamboo. Avoids disturbance by fleeing on the ground or making short flights. Song is a quick hollow “kwowp” note that is repeated slowly, delivered from a low perch, often a mossy log. Lacks the intricate scaly marks of Scaly Ground-Roller and the pale underparts and complex head pattern of Pitta-like Ground-Roller.

A medium-sized cuckoo, with a warm buff colored chest and belly. Bright yellow eyering and heavily barred tail. Take care to identify from Brush Cuckoo (which has a gray eyering), and from Pallid Cuckoo (which is paler and lacks the warm breast tones). Often detected by sound since this species calls frequently with a descending trill. Perches in the midstory on exposed branches, and flushes easily to a nearby perch.

A large gray cuckooshrike with a strong, hooked bill. Upperparts are mostly gray with black primaries; male darker than female. Rump and upper tail are paler than back, which is apparent in flight. Male has gray throat and upper breast becoming white in the belly with some gray bars. Female has white underparts with dark gray bars except from the lower belly to the tail. Both sexes have a dark patch from the bill to slightly behind the eye, giving a masked impression. Juvenile is brownish, heavily scaled with whitish-buff, and mottled on the underparts. Immature has broader white edges to wing feathers. Vocal. Call is a two-noted, rather nasal “gii-yaak,” uttered in flight as well as from a perch. Inhabits lightly wooded country, avoiding wet forests.

Common white and black ibis. Adult has bare black head, while juvenile has feathered head. Originally associated with wetlands and marshes (fresh and salt), it is now often seen in urban areas and has developed a reputation as the "Bin Chicken" due to its habit of scavenging food.

Tiny bird of forest undergrowth, named for exceptionally broad bill (difficult to see). Very small and short-tailed. Brownish-olive above and pale yellowish below, with black pattern on cheek. Throat and breast uniformly buffy, without contrasting white throat. Crown dull rufous with hidden golden center. Sexes alike. Gives a very high insectlike trill. Usually seen singly or in pairs, always in the lower levels of the forest. Inconspicuous.

A tiny bird that skulks in the dense undergrowth of evergreen forests, particularly around running water. Brown above with a large white throat patch and belly. Similar to Tawny-breasted and Gray-bellied Wren-Babblers, but the Long-tailed Wren-Babbler has a longer tail and distinct white streaks along the flanks. The song is a relatively short warble of 3-5 loud, melodic notes.

Recently described, inconspicuous and rarely seen bird of rainforest canopy. Small and slender with a long tail; mostly dark gray with a broken white eyering, white belly, and white outer tail feathers. Inhabits canopy of tall forest, especially in regions with sandy soils. Usually seen with mixed-species flocks as it forages actively in outer foliage, sallying for insects and gleaning from leaves, moving long tail from side to side like other gnatcatchers. Thin and indistinct call notes are easily overlooked among calls of other species in flocks, but distinctive shape, active behavior, and long tail with extensive white should clinch identification. Extremely similar to other gnatcatchers of the Guianan Gnatcatcher complex, but no overlap in range. Distinguished from Tropical Gnatcatcher by uniform gray body plumage and lack of a black cap, and from Tooth-billed Wren by slimmer shape and smaller size, lacking any black barring in the plumage.

A small, plain warbler that is ash-gray above and pale buff below, with a whitish throat and a distinctive pale-lemon eye. In adults, the diagnostic rusty ear-patch and small bar across the breast are often indistinct, and in winter they are frequently absent; juveniles also lack these features. Pairs and small groups are unobtrusive in stands of thorn trees in dry, mixed, and broadleaf woodland, where they may join mixed-species flocks. The species is most frequently detected by its high-pitched, fast-paced trill vocalizations. The similar Red-capped Crombec differs from Burnt-neck Eremomela by having a short tail and a dark eye.

A distinctive large, plump, short-tailed, long-legged forest bird with a black upperside and white underside, a striking red area on the lower belly, and a conspicuous silvery-blue shoulder patch. Juvenile duller, with buff on underparts. Shy, more often heard than seen. Usually found singly or in pairs in humid lowland and hill forest. Forages on the ground, but while calling often perches high in the understory or canopy. Very vocal; frequently given song is a mournful wolf whistle.

Gray songbird with a small erectable black crest, found across most of inland Australia, where its far-carrying song is one of the characteristic outback sounds. Male has white face and black bib, female and juvenile plain gray. Forages on or close to the ground, hopping and bouncing along, but also calls from prominent perches. Its song is a long fluid and bubbling whistled phrase "kan-pan-parlala," which carries a long distance.

Pale-headed starling with dark-tipped wings and an orangish belly and rump. Bill is distinctively colorful: blue with a yellow tip. Inhabits open forests and forest edge, as well as agricultural areas and village outskirts. Like other starlings, social and raucous, often flocking together while noisily churring and whistling. Frequently perches up on exposed perches such as snags and utility lines, but also forages extensively on the ground. Native to southern Asia; introduced to Taiwan.

Ungewöhnlich bis lokal ziemlich häufig auf sandigen Heiden und Lichtungen in Misch- und Nadelwäldern. Unauffällig, eher scheu und leicht zu übersehen, oft nicht zu sehen bis sie vom Boden auffliegt. Eher stämmig und mit kürzerem Schwanz als Feldlerche. Insgesamt braun und gestreift mit kurzem, buschigem Schopf; schwarz-weißer Fleck am Flügelbug diagnostisch, aber schwer zu erkennen. Im Flug mit weißen Schwanzspitzen, aber ohne weiße Schwanzseiten oder weiße Hinterkante an Flügeln im Gegensatz zur Feldlerche. Wie viele Lerchen, oft am besten am Gesang zu erkennen.

A plain, sparrow-sized honeyeater with a slender, downcurved bill like a sunbird’s. Entirely rich olive above, plain gray on face and throat, with a yellow wash on the underparts. Restricted to the islands of Lombok, Sumbawa, and Flores. Plainer than Indonesian Honeyeater, lacking that species’ prominent pale facial skin, yellow wing panel, and a dark mask. Sunda is also noticeably more yellow underneath. Calls include a constant twittering, a nasal “jeez,” and a guttural “grrt.”

A small, pretty member of the pipit family. Note the yellow underparts, the breast band of black streaks, and the scaly brown upperparts. Males and females are similar, but females are duller. The white edges of the tail are conspicuous in weak, fluttering flight. Found on the ground in montane grassland, often in wet areas. Similar to Yellow-throated Longclaw, but there is little overlap in range, and Sharpe’s is separated by being much smaller and having a streaky rather than solid black breast band. Brownish immatures can be confused with pipits, but show some pale yellow below. The song is a series of musical whistles in an up-and-down pattern, given from a perch or in flight. The calls include a sharp “siit” and a longer, metallic “chweee.”

Small, flightless dark brown duck, endemic to New Zealand. Males have green iridescence on head, dark chestnut-colored breast, and lightly barred flanks. Females are uniformly dark brown. Both sexes have distinct white eye-ring. Confined to the Auckland islands, where it occurs on all major islands except the main Auckland Island. Found on sheltered shorelines rummaging through windblown kelp piles. Also found on streams with adequate cover of tussock and sedges. Males give a soft trill as an alarm or territorial call. Females give a growl and a rapid quack. Distinguished from other New Zealand endemic teal species by location and light barring on sides.

A unique Javan endemic, this species’ namesake rufous tail sets it apart from the other two fantails on the island. Also note white throat and “angry” eyebrows. An active inhabitant of foothill and montane forests, often moving with mixed flocks in tangled vegetation in the lower nad middle levels of forest. Song is a comical squeaky series of up-and-down notes. Call is a dry “chrit.”

Only on Socorro Island, where in danger of extinction due to feral cats and overgrazing. Largely restricted to forest and edge on higher slopes of the island. Note the rather plain gray-brown head and upperparts, narrow whitish wingbars, whitish underparts with faint dusky streaks on the flanks, and narrow paler tail tips. Lacks the big white wing and tail flashes of Northern Mockingbird, which also occurs on the island.