svarthodeastrild Nesocharis shelleyi

A unique, beautiful finch of forest, forest edge, and farmlands, found only in the highlands of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and extreme southwest Nigeria. Surprisingly compact, with a short, stubby tail and a thick bluish bill. Shows a black head, a yellow-green back and wings, and gray undersides. Males also have a yellow-green chest. Feeds acrobatically on small branches, ferns, and other vegetation in the understory and sometimes higher, alone or in small groups. Calls are high pitched “siew” notes, and the song is a sequence of high-pitched buzzy notes.