White-throated Robin-Chat
Dessonornis humeralis
A striking medium-sized robin-chat with a slaty gray crown and back separated from the black wings and face mask by a white bar in the shoulder and a white eyebrow, respectively. The throat and breast are white, fading into amber orange on the vent, on the rump, and in the outer tail. Pairs prefer thickets in a variety of woodland types, where they forage secretively on the ground by flicking through leaf litter. They will remain low or sit up on perches to sing their high-pitched melodious song which includes imitations of other species.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Dessonornis humeralis
- Authority
- Smith, A, 1836
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Dessonornis
Range and habitat
The white-throated robin-chat is found in dry savannah woodland and shrubland.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The white-throated robin-chat is mainly insectivorous but also eats small vertebrates and some plant material. Its diet includes beetles, termites, ants, crickets, caterpillars, bugs, spiders and millipedes. It also consumes the fruits of the woolly caper-bush (Capparis tomentosa), the tassel-berry (Antidesma venosum), the sand raisin (Grewia microthyrsa), the magic guarrie (Euclea divinorum) and the dune guarrie (Euclea racemosa).
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Gray-headed Parrotbill
Paradoxornis gularis
A large cartoonishly-proportioned parrotbill of hilly forests. Oversized orange bill and gray head set it apart from any other parrotbills in its range. Namesake gray head is marked with a thick black eyebrow and throat, and contrasts smartly with a rich brown upper body and off-white breast and belly. Calls frequently, ranging from short trills and whistles to a harsh, rolling chatter. Often moves as a part of a mixed flock.
Wahlberg's Eagle
Hieraaetus wahlbergi
A small brown eagle with a slighter head and weaker beak than in larger brown eagles. A short crest gives the head a distinct squared-off look. In flight its crucifix-ilke shape is distinctive: straight-edged wings and a long straight-edged tail are most often held closed. Also occurs in pale and intermediate morphs, but dark, chocolate-brown coloration is the most common. Movements are complex, but it is mostly an intra-African migrant, breeding in the south (August to March) and occurring year-round farther north. Inhabits woodland, savanna, and farmland, hunting a broad range of vertebrate and insect prey both from perches and on the wing.
Paramillo Tapaculo
Scytalopus canus
A poorly known tapaculo found at high elevations near tree line in the northern reaches of Colombia’s western Andes. It was formerly considered a race of the more widespread Paramo Tapaculo. Adult is uniform gray, lacking obvious markings and without the brown coloration found on many other Andean tapaculos. Young birds are brown and heavily barred. Inhabits tangled understory of stunted forest and clumps of small bushes. Song is a long series of buzzy notes that is steady in pace but descends gradually in pitch.
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