San Cristobal Mockingbird
Mimus melanotis
A fairly large gray-and-white songbird with a long tail, slightly curved bill, black mask, and blotchy gray vest. Endemic to Galápagos. Found only on San Cristóbal Island, where it is the only mockingbird. Adult may have a faint, dark mustache; juvenile has a heavily spotted breast. Uncommon and usually encountered alone or in pairs, in areas with scattered trees and cacti; tends to avoid tall, dense forest.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Mimus melanotis
- Authority
- (Gould, 1837)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Mimidae
- Genus
- Mimus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Mindanao Boobook
Ninox spilocephala
A fairly small owl of lowland forest on Mindanao. Dark brown on the head and upperparts with speckles on the wing, a reddish-brown chest, a white belly with thick reddish-brown streaking, and yellowish eyes. Similar to Chocolate Boobook, but Mindanao is much smaller and lacks any white on the chest. Song is a short three-noted phrase “boo-woo! boo!” with the first and second notes slurred.
Chestnut-bellied Partridge
Arborophila javanica
Brilliantly colored small partridge of montane and foothill forests. Often difficult to see in the gloom and tangle of shaded vegetation, but note slate-gray back and chest, rusty belly, and bright orange-and-black face pattern. Like other Arborophila partridges, typically forages on the forest floor in small groups. Song is a fast and gradually rising series of “whew” notes; when duetting, one bird gives the aforementioned song while its partner gives a slower, lower-pitched “boo-goo, boo-goo, boo-goo.”
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
Cathartes burrovianus
Found in savannas, wetlands, and other open areas, usually gliding low to the ground with wings held in a shallow V. Overall looks very much like the slightly larger Turkey Vulture (TV), but head is more colorful, with a yellow face and pale blue crown; at a distance, head appears paler than dark red head of TV. The upperwings show stronger whitish patches on the tips, rather than the pale brownish patches of TV.
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