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
Genus: Vauriella; Family: Muscicapidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- 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
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Yellow-bellied Seedeater
Sporophila nigricollis
Male is a fairly distinctive seedeater with yellow belly (sometimes very pale), dark breast and face, and brownish-olive back. Often shows some smudgy dark marks down the flanks. Bill is pale silvery. Female seedeaters are extremely difficult to identify; Yellow-bellied tends to look warmer with yellowish tones on underparts, but many are best left unidentified unless accompanied by a male. Most often found in flocks or pairs in open grassy habitats, sometimes near the edge of forest but also in agricultural areas.
Black-breasted Parrotbill
Paradoxornis flavirostris
A large, odd-looking parrotbill with a big yellow bill. Note the white face bordered by a black ear-patch and breast. Inhabits wetlands with tall reeds and grasses. Calls include a loud, nasal “cr-crwee-crwee-crwee-...” and some other repeated non-nasal notes such as “whit-whit-whit-...”. Forages among reeds in pairs or small groups.
Negros Jungle Flycatcher
Vauriella albigularis
A rare, medium-sized drab bird of lowland and foothill forest understory on Negros and Panay. Fairly large for a flycatcher. Dark brown above and on the chest, with a white throat and belly. Very similar to White-vented Whistler, but Negros Jungle-Flycatcher has a thinner bill and duller brown upperparts. Song is a descending sequence of high-pitched metallic notes, sometimes rising again at the end.
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