Tricolored Parrotfinch
Erythrura tricolor
A small blue finch with conspicuous red tail and an emerald-green back. Females duller, with green extending to nape. Juveniles dull green, with gray head and pale bill, but still show red tail. Singles, pairs, or flocks feed on or near the ground in forests, open woodlands, and thickets within the lowlands and mountains. An undescribed parrotfinch has been documented on Mount Mutis in Timor; Tricolored differs from it in lacking red on the face. Calls include soft, high-pitched “seet” and “sit” notes.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Erythrura tricolor
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1817)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Erythrura
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Mountain Barbet
Psilopogon monticola
Faded-looking barbet of Borneo’s north-central mountain ranges. Grass-green above and pale green below, with a pale blue head, an off-white throat, and a bright red streak on the back of the head. Relatively common in montane and submontane forest and edge (most common 600–1200) but can be difficult to see. Listen for its song, a series of hollow, echoing notes comparable to a water bottle being emptied. Can be found in and around fruiting trees, sometimes in mixed flocks.
Pallid Cuckoo
Heteroscenes pallidus
Large pale cuckoo, which lacks the warmer tones of both Fan-tailed and Brush cuckoos. Yellow eyering, and a dark indistinct stripe across the cheek. Has a distinctive call that has several notes, and tends to perch in prominent places or fence-posts while calling.
Bronze-winged Jacana
Metopidius indicus
Gangly inhabitant of well-vegetated wetlands, especially ponds and lakes with floating vegetation. Adult’s dark neck and bright white eyebrows are unmistakable. Juvenile’s white cheek and orangish neck can lead to confusion with Pheasant-tailed Jacana; look for Bronze-winged’s wholly brown wings.
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