Rusty-flanked Jungle Flycatcher
Vauriella insignis
A medium-sized bird of montane forest in northern Luzon. Large for a flycatcher. Dark brown on the upperparts and chest, rufous on the sides with a white brow, throat, belly, and underside of the base of the tail. Superficially similar to Eyebrowed Thrush, but smaller, lacking the gray throat and yellow base to the bill. Voice consists of thin, high-pitched phrases and a short “shtck!”
Identification
EBird describes the bird as "A medium-sized bird of montane forest in northern Luzon. Large for a flycatcher. Dark brown on the upperparts and chest, rufous on the sides with a white brow, throat, belly, and underside of the base of the tail. Superficially similar to Eyebrowed Thrush, but smaller, lacking the gray throat and yellow base to the bill. Voice consists of thin, high-pitched phrases and a short “shtck!."
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Vauriella insignis
- Authority
- (Ogilvie-Grant, 1895)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Vauriella
Range and habitat
It is found in tropical moist primary montane Forest above 950 meters above sea level. It is often found in the understory.<p>IUCN Red List has assessed this bird as vulnerable with the population being estimated at 2,500 to 9,999 mature individuals. This species' main threat is habitat loss due o deforestation through mining, logging and conversion of habitat into farmland. Mossy forests of the Cordillera Central are threatened by conversion to agricultural land, primarily for vegetable production. Forest cover in the Sierra Madre has declined by 83% since the 1930s.<p>It occurs in a few protected areas like Mount Pulag National Park and Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park but as with most protected areas in the Philippines - protection and enforcement from habitat conversion and logging are lax. <p>Conservation actions proposed include to conduct surveys using mist-nets to determine its current distribution and status. Extend the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park to incorporate Mt Los Dos Cuernos. Propose further known key sites (i,e. Mount Polis) for establishment as formal protected areas. Control habitat degradation in Mount Pulag National Park.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Gray-winged Blackbird
Turdus boulboul
A large forest thrush whose name describes its key feature; males are black and females are brown, but both have flashing silvery wings. Bright orange bill and eyering are eye-catching in dark forests. Forages quietly in the understory of montane and submontane broadleaf evergreen forests. Often solitary, occasionally in flocks in the winter. Tends not to visit gardens and parks like Tibetan and Chinese blackbirds, but does occasionally visit feeders at hides. Sweet, “thrushy” song consists of warbled phrases, sometimes with a slightly scratchy quality.
Cassia Crossbill
Loxia sinesciuris
Stocky, large-headed finch with unique crossed bill used to pry seeds out of lodgepole pine cones. Similar to Red Crossbill, best separated by voice, specifically the flight calls given in flight, a comparatively lower frequency, dry "dip-dip-dip". Endemic to Albion Mountains and South Hills of southern Idaho. Males are dull red or orange overall with gray or brown highlights. Females are dull olive-yellow. Immatures are streakier than adults. Sedentary, unlike most other crossbills. Often in small flocks. Rarely visits feeders.
Sharp-tailed Ibis
Cercibis oxycerca
A medium-sized wading bird, mostly black with a red bill and legs. Relatively long tail projection imparts a long-bodied appearance which is enhanced by its short legs. At close range, note bare red throat and orbital skin. Occurs in open wetlands and seasonally flooded savannas, usually in pairs or small groups, probing in mud, shallow water, or soft ground for invertebrates and fish. Unusual, far-carrying call is a single, horn-like note, often given in duet by pairs, with one higher-pitched than the other; the overall effect is like the braying of a donkey. Larger and longer-tailed than Bare-faced Ibis, much more vocal, and does not occur in large groups.
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