Gray-bellied Tesia
Tesia cyaniventer
Long-legged and short-tailed, this tiny bird moves rapidly and unseen through dark, dense undergrowth like a pint-sized shadow. Yellowish-green above and gray below, with a black line extending through the eye below a pale yellowish eyebrow. Slaty-bellied Tesia is extremely similar, but has a brighter yellowish crown, darker gray underparts, and no pale eyebrow. Gray-bellied breeds in mid- to high-elevation forest, sometimes descending into lower foothills in the winter. Forages in dense undergrowth, particularly near streams and fern or bamboo clusters. Listen for its song: a few clear, high, bell-like notes followed by a brief sputtering explosion of lower notes.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Tesia cyaniventer
- Authority
- Hodgson, 1837
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cettiidae
- Genus
- Tesia
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Usambara Greenbul
Phyllastrephus albigula
A very small, warbler-like greenbul with an olive-green back, pale underparts, an olive-washed gray cap and nape, and a yellow or orange eye. Found in montane forest at middle elevations. Often joins mixed-species flocks. Very similar in appearance to Tiny Greenbul, but found at higher elevations and darker overall, with an olive-green wash to the crown and nape. Similar in overall coloration to Yellow-streaked Greenbul, but much smaller, with a pale eye. Voice apparently very similar to Tiny Greenbul’s. The call is a rough chattering trill that is often mixed with the song: an accelerating, syncopated series of low nasal notes.
Horned Sungem
Heliactin bilophus
Stunning hummingbird with a short straight bill. Males have a dark blue crown with red, blue, and gold tufted “horns” on the side. Otherwise largely metallic green above and white below with a black throat. Females have a green cap and lack the horns. Found in riverine belts and open savanna grasslands; may venture into adjacent human-modified habitats.
Black-faced Monarch
Monarcha melanopsis
A slim songbird with rather long tail and substantial bill. Gray above, rufous below, with gray head, black forehead and throat. Juvenile lacks black in face. In all plumages, small white crescent in front of eye. Often perches horizontally, slightly raising tail. Inhabits wetter forested areas along eastern coast of Australia, where it forages slowly for insects in foliage.
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