Visayan Cuckooshrike

Coracina panayensis

Burly gray cuckooshrike with dark eyes and a heavy bill. Both male and female are gray above and barred black-and-white below; also note barred rumps. Males also have a limited dark mask. Restricted to the Western Visayas of the Philippines, inhabiting lowland and foothill forest and forest edge on Negros and Panay; likely extirpated by near-complete native forest cover loss on Masbate, Ticao, and Guimaras. Forages at middle and upper levels of forest, sometimes associating with other species. Gives scratchy, high-pitched calls, often doubled or repeated. Formerly treated as part of a more broadly-defined “Bar-bellied Cuckooshrike”.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Coracina panayensis
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Campephagidae
Genus
Coracina

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Surf Cinclodes

Surf Cinclodes

Cinclodes taczanowskii

Brown thrush-like bird of the Peruvian coastline; it never ventures very far from the ocean. Note the buffy wing markings and white streaking on the throat, though its highly specialized habitat is the best identification feature; any brown land bird foraging at the edge of the sea is likely to be this species. Prefers rocky areas over sandy beaches; also seen along concrete embankments.

Syrian Woodpecker

Syrian Woodpecker

Dendrocopos syriacus

Very similar to Great Spotted Woodpecker, differing mainly by the incomplete cheek band and the lack of black at the base of the bill. Males have a red nape, black in females. Little white in the tail. Avoids dense forests and found in lightly wooded open areas, parks, gardens, and plantations. "Kick" call softer than Great Spotted Woodpecker; Syrian's drumroll has longer pauses than Great Spotted's.

White-chinned Petrel

White-chinned Petrel

Procellaria aequinoctialis

Common, rather large dark petrel of the Southern Ocean; regular migrant north into Humboldt Current. Usually looks wholly blackish with a pale, ivory-colored bill—the white chin is often just a few feathers and frequently is difficult to see in the field, although it can be more extensive, especially on Atlantic and Indian Ocean birds. White-chinned is obviously larger than dark-billed Sooty Shearwater and much smaller than giant-petrels, which have huge pale bills. Pale bill tip distinguishes White-chinned from similar Westland and Parkinson’s Petrels, which have dark bill tip.

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