Sharpe's Starling

Pholia sharpii

Small, distinctive starling with a blue-black back, a white throat, and a buff belly. Except in good light, the upperparts usually look black. The pale eye is always distinctive. Uncommon and local in montane forest. Found in the canopy, in pairs or small flocks; often perches up conspicuously on dead snags and other open perches. The call is a sharp “sveet” and the song is a high-pitched tinkling that is distinctive, but quiet and easily ignored. Separated from similar starlings by its pale throat.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Pholia sharpii
Authority
(Jackson, FJ, 1898)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Sturnidae
Genus
Pholia

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Sabine's Spinetail

Sabine's Spinetail

Rhaphidura sabini

A distinctive swift of lowland forest with a square tail and bulging wings that are “pinched” at the body and widest in the center. Wings, back, and throat are blackish, while belly, tail, and rump are white. Could be confused with Cassin’s Spinetail, but Sabine’s Spinetail’s tail extends out beyond the wings, giving it a typical swift appearance. Call is a high-pitched twitter. 

Sulawesi White-eye

Sulawesi White-eye

Zosterops consobrinorum

A small songbird with a bold white eye-ring, dark eyes, a green back and forehead, a yellow throat and base to undertail, and a white belly. Groups and pairs roam woods, forest edges and patches, gardens, cultivated spaces, and scrub. Confined to lowlands of southeast Sulawesi. Occurs at lower elevations than Warbling White-eye, and differs from it in the dark eye and green forehead. Separated from Lemon-bellied White-eye by the white belly. Gives a slow-paced, high-pitched descending tinkling song, “chi-chiwit-chit-cher-cher.” Also high “zit” notes.

Chestnut-headed Oropendola

Chestnut-headed Oropendola

Psarocolius wagleri

Rather large, dark, yellow-tailed bird of humid evergreen forest and edge in tropical lowlands. Where present, colonies of large pendulous nests adorn tall trees. Often in flocks, usually in forest canopy at fruiting trees. Male is much larger than female, but sexes look similar, with a dark, rich brown head and body, blackish upperparts, pale yellowish bill, and bold yellow tail sides. Flight much quicker than larger Montezuma Oropendola, with deep, rather swooping wingbeats that produce a rushing sound.

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