Shining Flycatcher
Myiagra alecto
A long-tailed, slender songbird with fine bill. Male entirely glossy blue-black. Female a rich chestnut above, white below, with black crown and face (in poor light, may appear dark above; compare Restless and Paperbark flycatchers). Inhabits mangroves and wetlands, actively pursuing insects on the ground and in low vegetation. Song a clear whistled “towhit-too-towhit.”
Identification
A long-tailed, slender songbird with fine bill. Male entirely glossy blue-black. Female a rich chestnut above, white below, with black crown and face (in poor light, may appear dark above; compare Restless and Paperbark flycatchers). Song a clear whistled “towhit-too-towhit.”
Taxonomy
The shining flycatcher was originally described in the genus Drymophila and subsequently placed by some authorities in the genus Monarcha. Alternate names include common shining flycatcher, shining monarch, shining monarch flycatcher, shining Myiagra and shining Myiagra-flycatcher.<p>Eight subspecies are recognized:
- Scientific name
- Myiagra alecto
- Authority
- (Temminck, 1827)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Monarchidae
- Genus
- Myiagra
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Common Myna
Acridotheres tristis
A large, black-and-brown myna with white wing patches, yellow bill, and yellow legs. Gregarious and often found in noisy flocks. Aggressive, often driving away other birds. Can be found just about anywhere but the densest forests. Native to southern Asia, where it is among the most common species. Widely introduced elsewhere in the world, including Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.
Brassy-breasted Tanager
Tangara desmaresti
Small, restless and colorful tanager of montane forests that often joins mixed-species flocks. Mostly greenish yellow, but note the blue forehead and eyering. The bill and area around it is black, with another back patch on the throat. Note the orange breast dark streaks on the back.
Marsh Tapaculo
Scytalopus iraiensis
Small, dark ash-gray tapaculo. Note the unbarred dark brown vent. Occurs in marshy areas with dense tall grasses and sedges, where usually devilishly difficult to see. The song is a long (c. 30 seconds) repetition of “tchek” notes.
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