Marsh Babbler
Pellorneum palustre
A small, mostly brown bird with a heavily streaked pale breast. Note the white eyebrow, the white throat, and the rusty flanks and belly. Found in wetlands with dense grasses and reeds, where it is difficult to see as it forages for invertebrates. Best located by song, which includes a series of scratchy notes followed by 1-4 loud, musical whistles.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Pellorneum palustre
- Authority
- Gould, 1872
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pellorneidae
- Genus
- Pellorneum
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds

Large Hawk-Cuckoo
Hierococcyx sparverioides
This species’ maddening song can be likened to the phrase “brain-FEVER,” which adequately describes what this bird gives birders trying to see one as it sings high up in the forest canopy. If seen well, note hawk-like appearance, with a long barred tail, brown upperparts, and patterned white underparts. Orangish flush on chest apparent in adults. Favors hill and montane forests when breeding; often found at lower altitudes and in forest edge and scrubby areas when migrating and on wintering grounds.

Pygmy Sunbird
Hedydipna platura
A tiny-bodied sunbird in which breeding males are colorful and distinctive, and females and non-breeding males quite drab. Breeding males have a green back, a yellow belly, and extremely elongated central tail feathers. Females and non-breeding males have gray-brown upperparts and pale-yellow underparts. Similar to Nile Valley Sunbird, but there is very little overlap in range; males are distinguished by their lack of purple on the back and breast, and females by being darker overall and having a less distinct pale eyebrow. Also similar to female Beautiful Sunbird, but yellower below, with a shorter bill. The most common call is a rising “sweet,” and the song is a typical sunbird jumble.

Scaled Woodcreeper
Lepidocolaptes squamatus
Fairly small woodcreeper with a short, slightly curved pale pinkish bill. Found in a variety of habitats including humid forests, woodlands, and dry forests as well as semi-desert areas. Uniformly rufous upperparts contrast with a bold white eyebrow, white throat, and scaly underparts. Occasionally follows mixed-species flocks. Similar to Scalloped Woodcreeper, which has a darker crown and a more rufous tail.
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