White-browed Shrike-Babbler
Pteruthius aeralatus
A small, stout bird with a large head, usually found at mid-level in forests. Male is smartly attired: clean white below and black above with a gray back, a white eyebrow, and two bright, flame-like orange stripes towards the wingtips. Females have the same general patterning, but are much more faded, replacing black with gray and orange with yellow-green. Often joins mixed flocks in foothill and montane forests, where it can be fairly common. Song is a forceful series with slight breaks every second or third note: “dyudyu-dyu-dyudyu!”
Identification
The white-browed shrike-babbler is sexually dimorphic. There are many variations between the populations and some are more distinctive than others but they may not be easy to diagnose in the field. In general appearance it is very similar to the Himalayan shrike-babbler but all subspecies with the exception of validirostris have the tertials of males partly coloured rufous and partly fulvous.<p>The common name commemorates Edward Blyth (1810–1873), who published the description and notes based on Samuel Tickell's specimen. It was earlier called Tickell's shrike-Tit.
Taxonomy
The species was described by Edward Blyth who credited the name to collector Captain Samuel Tickell. This and several other species were later lumped together as subspecies of Pteruthius flaviscapis. In 2008, a molecular phylogenetic study resulted in the separation of species within the flaviscapis group with a large number split by application of the phylogenetic species concept and these were reorganized with a smaller number of species resulting in the following subspecies being included within white-browed shrike-babbler.
- Scientific name
- Pteruthius aeralatus
- Authority
- Blyth, 1855
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Vireonidae
- Genus
- Pteruthius
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
Migration pattern: Vertical migration.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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Compact songbird with short bill. Males in much of range are olive above, yellow below, with white throat set in black head; males and females on Norfolk Island are olive-brown with yellowish underparts (brightest on undertail). Females vary across range, with eastern birds having some amount of yellow on the underparts and western birds (formerly treated as full species, “Western Whistler”) being gray-brown above and pale below, lacking yellow. Olive Whistler much browner below, with well-defined whitish bib. Inhabits a great variety of habitats. Bright, whistled song varies, but often has a whip-like ending.

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