Gray Thornbill

Acanthiza cinerea

A tiny bird of montane forest canopy. Medium gray above and clean white below with a black bill and dark eye. Forages very actively in small single or mixed species flocks and often hovers to catch insects. Similar to Papuan Thornbill and Brown-breasted Gerygone, but Gray Thornbill is distinctly gray rather than brown above. Voice very similar to Brown-breasted Gerygone and birds even respond those calls. Song, a descending series of high-pitch, slurred notes. Call, high-pitch chips.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Acanthiza cinerea
Authority
(Salvadori, 1876)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Acanthizidae
Genus
Acanthiza

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Other Birds

Gray-headed Albatross

Gray-headed Albatross

Thalassarche chrysostoma

Rarely found north of cold subantarctic waters; ranges south to pack-ice in summer. Adult has a gray head, thick black underwing margins like much commoner Black-browed Albatross. Immatures look similar to Black-browed overall, but told by black bill that soon develops yellow along top, and often with variable gray hood. Yellow bill edges narrower than the more lightly built Buller’s Albatross, which occurs to the north but is often mistaken for Gray-headed.

Gray-breasted Woodpecker

Gray-breasted Woodpecker

Melanerpes hypopolius

Fairly common endemic woodpecker in desert interior habitats of southwest Mexico, especially in areas with tall columnar cacti, including towns and villages. Often in pairs or small groups. Rather drab and grayish overall with a whitish forehead patch and a densely barred black-and-white back. Male has red crown patch and female has plain gray head. No similar species in its limited range.

Pallas's Fish-Eagle

Pallas's Fish-Eagle

Haliaeetus leucoryphus

A pale-headed raptor of inland marshes and lakes. Tends to be uncommon and thinly distributed throughout its range. Adult is dark brown above with a paler belly and dirty-gray head. When in flight from below, a broad white band on the dark tail is the most eye-catching feature. Juveniles have an all-dark tail, but have two bright white panels on the undersides of the wingtips; this patterning can be similar to that of some kites, but the fish-eagle is much larger, with a longer-winged and comparatively shorter-tailed profile.

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