Dusky-blue Flycatcher
Bradornis comitatus
A dapper slate-colored flycatcher with a distinctly pale throat and eyebrow, often found at the forest’s edge along roads, in clearings, and even in farmlands. A widespread but sometimes overlooked resident, sometimes occurring up into the mountains, that builds its own nest inside old abandoned weaver nests. Can be confused with other African flycatchers, but note Dusky-blue Flycatcher’s upright posture, habitat, and pale throat and lores. Song is variable, consisting of clear whistles and other calls given in groups of 2-10 notes. Calls include high-pitched “sip sip” and buzzy “zrt” notes.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Bradornis comitatus
- Authority
- (Cassin, 1857)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Bradornis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Ocellated Poorwill
Nyctiphrynus ocellatus
Dark brown nightjar of humid forests. Smooth reddish brown overall with small black spots, a clean white throat band, and white tail corners. In flight, appears dark brown overall with white tail corners but no white wing patches. Look for it in mature rainforest, with or without dense understory. Song is a single quavering, reverberating note, “PEEur,” like plucking a taut string.
Slaty-backed Thrush
Geokichla schistacea
An unmistakable black, white, and gray thrush. Gray upperparts and black head marked with bold white cheek patch and long white eyebrow. Throat and chest black and belly clean white, peppered with black spots on the upper part. Occurs in forest, where it forages on the ground but often perches in trees just below the canopy, particularly when singing. Confined to the Tanimbar Islands. Complex song is a sequence of melodious whistled stanzas, mostly upslurred at the start, and interspersed with quick “chew-chew-chew” phrases.
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
Ardenna pacifica
Large but light-bodied shearwater with rather broad wings and a long, wedge-shaped tail often held closed in a point. Fairly common in warm tropical waters and at times visible from shore. Occurs locally in flocks of hundreds; elsewhere occurs in smaller numbers. Usually seen with feeding flocks of other seabirds. Typical flight is unhurried with easy buoyant glides and stiff wingbeats. Plumage variable: most birds are gray-brown above and whitish below; others are dark brown overall. Note pale scaly edgings to back feathers and slender grayish bill.
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