White-bellied Erpornis
Erpornis zantholeuca
Small, crested, yuhina-like bird, frequently seen as a part of mixed flocks in a wide range of forested habitats. Upperparts yellowish green, underparts dingy gray except for yellow undertail coverts and whitish throat. Forages mostly in the upper layers of vegetation, from which its loud “nay nay” call is often heard.
Identification
In its coloration, morphology and acrobatic habits, this bird resembles a vireo quite a lot. However, it has a prominent crest like many yuhinas, which together with the unusual biogeography has served to obscure its true relationships for a long time. The crested head, back, wings and tail of this bird are olivaceous or golden brown while the underparts are white.<p>Erpornis possesses well-developed musculature for gaping or opening the bill forcefully and may use this to pry bark from trees to seek insects.
Taxonomy
Formerly placed in Yuhina and often still misleadingly called "white-bellied yuhina", it is the most distinct member of this "genus" in its obsolete paraphyletic delimitation. It is by no means closely related to the Timaliidae (Old World babblers), where most of the former members of Yuhina are still placed. The Timaliidae are members of the superfamily Sylvioidea in infraorder Passeri, whereas the erpornis is the closest relative of the vireos (Vireonidae), which are a more ancient lineage of songbirds. Indeed, it now is usually included in the Vireonidae as one of their few Old World representatives.<p>Several subspecies are recognised: E. z zantholeuca, E. z tyrannula, E. z griseiloris, E. z sordida, E. z canescens, E. z interposita, E. z saani and E. z brunnescens.
- Scientific name
- Erpornis zantholeuca
- Authority
- Blyth, 1844
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Vireonidae
- Genus
- Erpornis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Whistler's Warbler
Phylloscopus whistleri
One of a confusingly similar complex of species, this medium-sized warbler has a bright yellow eye-ring, a pale and indistinct wingbar, and a grayish crown bordered by two long black stripes. The weakness and greenish cast of the gray crown separates this species from various other “golden-spectacled”-type warblers, such as Gray-crowned. Golden-spectacled Warbler is very similar; in Whistler’s, look out for an unbroken eye-ring, a shorter bill, a longer tail, and slightly duller green upperparts. Whistler’s breeds in high-altitude temperate broadleaf forest from around 2000 meters up to the treeline; averages higher in altitudinal breeding preferences than Golden-spectacled Warbler. Like other “golden-spectacled”-type warblers, Whistler’s typically forages at lower and middle levels of forest, often mixing with other species and making flycatching sallies. Song consists of a 2- or 3-noted whistled phrase repeated 2-3 times without pause, lacking the trills of Golden-spectacled Warbler.
Southern White-faced Owl
Ptilopsis granti
A large scops-owl, but still small relative to large owls. Gray on the back; pale and streaked below with a contrasting black-and-white face. Found in drier broadleaved woodland and thorny savanna. Call is a quick series of “hu” notes followed by a longer “hwooow.” Separated from the very similar Northern White-faced Owl by voice and range. Has ear tufts like other scops-owls, but its orange eyes are distinctive.
Yap Cicadabird
Edolisoma nesiotis
Small cuckooshrike with a restricted range, found only on Yap, which is part of the larger Caroline Islands group in the Federated States of Micronesia. Males are mainly gray with black on the face, wing, and tail. Females brown on the back and rich buff below, with fine scaling. Seemingly only found in good forest. One frequent vocalization is an upslurred whistle. Distinctive within its small range.
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