Worstbird

A small, mostly brownish swiftlet. Most obvious feature is a pale gray throat contrasting with a darker brownish belly. Commonly found over a variety of natural and non-natural habitats. Similar to Tahiti Swiftlet, but proportionately shorter-tailed with much more contrasting plumage, including paler underparts and a darker rump. Voice commonly consists of weak chirping and twittering.

Distinctive small, bicolored bird, with a mostly pale olive-brown body, short crest, rufous wings, and long spiky rufous tail. Crown has narrow black stripes; bill pinkish and decurved. Very arboreal, actively foraging by hitching up branches and tree trunks, as well as by checking leaves and bromeliads. Often with mixed-species flocks. Common, mainly in foothills and lower montane regions. Usually in humid forest, tall secondary forest, and forest borders. Very vocal, the song an accelerating series of short, high notes.

Tiny, rare, skulking rail-like bird that is unlikely to be seen unless you’re expressly looking for it at a handful of known sites. Male has rich rufous and olive-green color, while female is a subdued dark brown. Found in a few wetlands at middle and high elevations in eastern Madagascar, usually adjacent to rainforest. Call is an odd and earthy series of “tduk” calls, sometimes given singly and sometimes in triplets. Longer-billed than the much more common Madagascar Flufftail, and both sexes of Slender-billed Flufftail have duller coloration.

A striking small bird that frequents montane forests, but sometimes ventures into dry scrub and mangroves. This species is readily distinguished by its overall gray plumage (tinged green above and yellow below on immature birds) with boldly contrasting white eyebrows and wingbars. All potential confusion species are migrants from North America that have streaking above and/or below that Plumbeous Warbler lacks. Typically feeds in understory with tail often cocked upwards. Song consists of a dozen or so leisurely whistled sweet notes, the first three of which are at same pitch; at times only first three notes are given. Call is a dry rattle.

A distinctive chestnut, white, and black waterbird with a sky-blue bill and enormous feet. The immature lacks the blue bill and shield and is brown-headed. Resident and nomadic, this species trots on the surface of water lilies and other aquatic vegetation, using its long legs and ludicrously elongated toes to prevent it from sinking. It flies weakly, low over the water, with legs and toes dangling behind awkwardly, and calls with a honking repeated “kyaaan” and wheezy hurried “skreeeeeet’--most often in flight. Highly unusual mating system in which one dominant female maintains a harem of multiple males. After egg-laying, each male will raise a brood alone.