Moluccan Woodcock
Scolopax rochussenii
A chunky, snipe-like forest-dwelling shorebird with cryptic plumage, a stunted tail, and a long powerful bill. Buff below with extensive bold black markings above. Largely occupies the floor of lowland and foothills forests. Best seen in crepuscular display flights above the canopy, when its heavy body, short tail, heavily checkered broad underwings, and long bill can be noted. Confined to islands of Obi and Bacan, where it is the only woodcock. In display flight, frequently repeats a distinctive short, wet rattle, “titilit.”
Identification
The Moluccan woodcock measures 32-40 centimetres in length. Its body shape is stocky and compact, with a rounded, robust chest, wide pointed wings, and a short tail. The bill is long, straight, and dark. The upperside of the bird is black with light tan spots and sparse barring, while the underside is unstreaked and yellow-orange with slight black mottling. It has black bands between the eye and bill and on the back of the neck.<p>The Moluccan woodcock is larger than other members of the genus Scolopax. S. rochusseni resembles S. celebensis (Sulawesi woodcock) but is larger, lighter, and more spotted. Despite their similar appearance, it is unlikely that the range of S. rochusseni and S. celebensis would overlap.
Taxonomy
The Moluccan woodcock is part of the sandpiper family Scolopacidae. Of the 15 genera in the sandpiper family, the Moluccan woodcock belongs to Scolopax, the woodcock genus. Scolopax includes eight species of woodcock, six of which are localized island endemic species, including the Moluccan woodcock. Within the Scolopacidae family, woodcocks are most closely related to snipes.<p>A Moluccan woodcock was collected for the first time in 1862 by Heinrich Bernstein and the species was later named Scolopax rochussenii in 1866 by Hermann Schlegel.
- Scientific name
- Scolopax rochussenii
- Authority
- Schlegel, 1866
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Genus
- Scolopax
Range and habitat
The Moluccan woodcock is a lowland species that prefers wet, coastal habitats in or close to forests. Their presence is closely associated with rivers and streams, and they occupy the same habitats year-round. Initially, the Moluccan woodcock was believed to be a montane bird, a habitat preference that would explain the lack of observations of the species. However, despite its occasional use of montane habitat, it is now considered more characteristic of lowland environments. Moluccan woodcocks fly anywhere between 15 and 1150 meters in elevation, but their population density is higher at lower altitudes. The species is tolerant of minor habitat destruction and has been found to occupy secondary forests affected by selective logging and small-scale agriculture. The estimated territory size for the Moluccan woodcock is 10.67 hectares.<p>Moluccan woodcocks are endemic to Indonesia. They have been found on Obi and Bacan, two small islands in the north of the Moluccas, an archipelago in eastern Indonesia. It is estimated that there are 9530 Moluccan woodcock territories on Obi. Only one individual has been recorded on Bacan in 1902, with most knowledge of the species coming from observations on Obi. It is unknown whether the species is still present on the island of Bacan.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Moluccan woodcocks are usually only ever observed during display behaviour. The purpose of this behaviour in the Moluccan woodcock is unclear, and very little is known about the species' behaviour when it is not performing a display flight. Display behaviour occurs during dusk or dawn during the wet season from March until August. It consists of rapid and shallow wingbeats with loud vocalizations, with no obvious flight pattern. The bird follows a river or stream, or circles over a swamp, maintaining an altitude of approximately 10 meters over the canopy.<p>Moluccan woodcocks occasionally engage in territorial conflicts while performing a display flight. These encounters occur when two birds meet one another while participating in display behaviour. The conflict consists of a short flight where both individuals fly parallel to one another and do not overlap into the other's space. The birds communicate with a descending, twittering vocalization throughout the encounter.<p>The Moluccan woodcock's vocalizations are described as hard, explosive, metallic rattles, transcribed as ''ti’ti’ti’ti’ti’ti’ti’ti''. Each trill lasts 0.1-0.6 seconds long and occur at intervals of 1.9-3.2 seconds. One trill contains 8-11 motifs, with each motif between 0.04 and 0.05 seconds long. The vocalizations are only known to occur during display flights.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Yellow-capped Pygmy-Parrot
Micropsitta keiensis
A tiny parrot of lowland and foothill forest canopy in the south and west of New Guinea. Mostly green with yellow under the tail and a yellowish crown. NW birds have a red streak on the belly. Crawls actively on trunks, even upside down, like a nuthatch. May overlap with Red-breasted and Buff-faced but Yellow-capped lacks the blue crown and buff face. Call, a shrill, descending screech “kiiiiiii!”.
Island Whistler
Pachycephala phaionota
A rather drab, medium-sized bird of wooded habitats on small islands. Gray head, white throat, brown back and very pale brown underparts with slightly darker brown smudges on the sides of the chest. Very similar to Brown-backed Whistler but does not co-occur. No similar species in range. Gives a jumbled, whistled song, interspersed with repeated, typical whistler “whip!” notes. Call, a sharp descending “jip!”.
Short-tailed Batis
Batis mixta
Males have the typical batis pattern of black, white, and gray. Females have a more unusual pattern, with rufous in the wing and either a rufous or gray wash across the breast. Both sexes have a narrow pale eyebrow and orange or reddish eyes. Found in forest at low and middle elevations, often in pairs. Very similar to Dark Batis, but there is no known overlap in range. Males are similar to Chinspot and Pale Batises, but are distinguished by the darker eye and shorter tail. Females are distinctive. The song is variable, but is usually a long series of identical low-pitched tooting notes.
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