Maroon-naped Sunbird
Aethopyga guimarasensis
A small bird of forest and edge from the lowlands to low elevations in the mountains on the western Visayas. Has a fairly long and slightly curved bill, yellow underparts, and olive wings. Male has a black face, throat, and chest, with a purple mustache stripe and a green crown. Male is similar to Olive-backed Sunbird, but has a red spot on the chest and reddish coloration on the upper back and back of the head. The drab female resembles the female Handsome Sunbird, but lacks the yellow rump. Voice includes a jumbled, high-pitched song and a slightly wheezy, high-pitched “tsee-tsee-tsee.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Aethopyga guimarasensis
- Authority
- (Steere, 1890)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Nectariniidae
- Genus
- Aethopyga
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Pacific Robin
Petroica pusilla
A small, attractive robin with a bright crimson chest and belly. Varies across range, but male is mostly dark above and on head except for bright white forehead and pale wingbar. Base of undertail white. Female mostly brown above but red below. Generally unique and unmistakable within range. Inhabits forested areas at a range of elevations. Voice varies across range but is generally a mix of high-pitched tinkling, sweet high-pitched tweeting, and whistling.
White-faced Robin
Eopsaltria leucops
Tiny songbird found in dense rainforest of northern Cape York Peninsula (not expected in the Cairns area). Round olive bird with black head, white face, and bright yellow underparts. Typically seen singly or in pairs; perches on low branches and on the side of tree trunks before flying down to the ground to capture prey. Compare Yellow-breasted Boatbill, which has longer tail, white wingbars, and yellow eyebrow. Call is a repeated series of short, sharp whistles.
Great Potoo
Nyctibius grandis
A monstrous nightbird, superficially similar to an owl but not related. Pale mottled gray with large head; larger than other potoos and lacks a dark mustache stripe. Well camouflaged and difficult to spot; most often seen roosting on a horizontal limb during the day (less often on a broken off snag like other potoos). Found in forested areas and edges. Active at night, when it feeds on large insects. Listen for its terrifying call, a harsh descending scream.
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