Golden-crowned Babbler
Sterrhoptilus dennistouni
A fairly small bird of lowland and foothill forest, open wooded areas with developed understory, bamboo, and tall grass. Has a gray back and cheek with fine pale streaks, dark wings and tail with white outer tail feathers, white underparts, and a yellow throat and crown. Note the slender black bill. Often joins mixed-species flocks. Somewhat similar to female Mugimaki Flycatcher, but differs in behavior and in its yellow crown. Gives soft “whip” calls while feeding.
Identification
Ebird describes this as "A fairly small bird... Has a gray back and cheek with fine pale streaks, dark wings and tail with white outer tail feathers, white underparts, and a yellow throat and crown. Note the slender black bill. Gives soft 'whip' calls while feeding." They are spotted foraging alone, in pairs or in mixed flocks with other species. <p>The golden-crowned babbler has been known to interbreed with the Calabarzon babbler in areas where their range overlaps.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Sterrhoptilus dennistouni
- Authority
- (Ogilvie-Grant, 1895)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Zosteropidae
- Genus
- Sterrhoptilus
Range and habitat
Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forestup to 1,150 m. It is often seen in lowland and foothill forest, open wooded areas with developed understory, bamboo, and tall grass. The IUCN Redlist has classified this species as near threatened. Its threats are mainly habitat loss due to deforestation for lumber, mining and farmlands. There are no known targeted conservation actions for this bird, but it will indirectly benefit from the conservation of other North Luzon species like the Critically Endangered Isabela oriole. The stronghold of the Isabela oriole in Baggao is being proposed as a protected area and will thus preserve key habitat for this beautiful babbler.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Layard's Warbler
Curruca layardi
A stout grayish warbler with a pale eye, a streaky throat, and a pale whitish undertail. Pairs occupy scrubby bushes mostly in semi-arid rangelands, often preferring areas with boulders and slopes. The species often sings a short melodic phrase of 6-10 notes, most notes repeated 2-3 times, interspersed with scolding and chattering. The very similar Chestnut-vented Warbler differs from Layard’s Warbler by having a rufous-colored undertail.
Three-striped Warbler
Basileuterus tristriatus
Active, often noisy warbler found at lower to middle levels of montane cloud forest. Note the olive upperparts and dark and pale pattern on head. Underpart color and extent of cheek patch vary through its range. Dark stripes on head usually contrast with back, and eyebrow is white, not yellow – these two features help to separate it from other similar warblers in range. Usually seen in pairs or family groups. Typical song begins as a rising trill and then morphs into chaotic chattering.
Solitary Tinamou
Tinamus solitarius
Large, dumpy, almost tailless terrestrial inhabitant of the Atlantic Forest, where it walks quietly through forests with an open understory. This tinamou has a gray-brown barred back and vent, pale gray on the belly with a prominent pale stripe on the side of the neck. Very secretive, best identified by song, a series of “frru” whistles with long silences between them.
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