Worstbird

Small, fairly common duck. Brownish at rest with a dark face, but striking in flight with a white inner wing panel contrasting with an iridescent dark green outer wing. Males have an orange bill, blue-gray in females. Encountered on lakes, ponds, rivers, marshy areas, and occasionally in more saline waters.

A large honeyguide of forest and forest edge. Usually stays high in the trees, but will descend low when foraging or when following humans through the forest. Shows greenish back and wings with a spotted crown and distinctive olive-green underparts with white spotting. Has a typical honeyguide tail, with white outer tail feathers with dark tips. Throat is paler than breast, and the pale belly has spots turning to streaks. Song is a distinctive trilled “tjrrrrr” lasting up to several seconds.

Small songbird, a member of the Arctic Warbler complex, this species looks essentially identical to Arctic Warbler and Kamchatka Leaf Warbler but is more evenly yellowish. Normally only distinguished in the field by breeding range and song: breeds in forests on all of the main Japanese islands except Hokkaido, where it is replaced in summer by Kamchatka Leaf Warbler. Favors foothill to montane areas with dense brushy understory; can be found in more open wooded habitats in migration and on wintering grounds. Song resembles that of Arctic in general pitch and register but is less uniform, like a more rising and falling version of Arctic’s song. Call also similar but averages lower in pitch.

Chunky large orangish kingfisher with an oversized head and a scarlet dagger of a bill. No other large kingfisher in its range has dark brown wings. Bright blue-green rump patch most obvious in flight. Restricted to coastal habitats such as mangroves and estuaries. Gives loud, fluid-sounding whistles as well as harsh grating rattles.

Small warbler, yellow overall with black streaks on sides and unique face pattern. Upperparts are duller olive. Reddish streaks on back are distinctive, but can be difficult to see or absent on immatures. Long tail is often pumped up and down, but not as consistently as Palm Warbler. Forages for insects in a range of shrubby habitats, from cedar-studded fields to regenerating woods to mangroves in Florida. Winters in Florida and the Caribbean.