Eyebrowed Heleia
Heleia superciliaris
A small olive songbird with a bold whitish eyebrow and eye-ring. Underparts dull yellow. Juveniles duller with an ill-defined eyebrow. Parties found within forest, forest edge, and nearby scrub in foothills and mountains, attending mixed-species flocks. Restricted to Flores and Sumbawa. Lacks a crest and has a uniformly-colored dark crown, unlike Dark-crowned White-eye, and also shows a longer pale brow and a duller yellow underside. Song is a short, high-pitched warble. Calls include repetitive “pew-pew-pew” and wobbly “chlew” notes.
Identification
A small olive songbird with a bold whitish eyebrow and eye-ring. Underparts dull yellow. Juveniles duller with an ill-defined eyebrow. Parties found within forest, forest edge, and nearby scrub in foothills and mountains, attending mixed-species flocks. Restricted to Flores and Sumbawa. Lacks a crest and has a uniformly-colored dark crown, unlike Dark-crowned White-eye, and also shows a longer pale brow and a duller yellow underside. Song is a short, high-pitched warble. Calls include repetitive “pew-pew-pew” and wobbly “chlew” notes.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Heleia superciliaris
- Authority
- (Hartert, EJO, 1897)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Zosteropidae
- Genus
- Heleia
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
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Odd little short-tailed and chunky-billed member of the indigobird family. The male is yellow, with dark wings and tail, while the female is brown and streaky on the back and buff on the face and underparts. Found in moist grassland and open savanna. Uncommon across its range. Indistinct song consists of short, rasping phrases. Male could be confused with canaries but has an all-black bill. Female resembles female bishops but has a shorter and thicker all-black bill.
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