White-rumped Robin
Melanodryas bimaculata
A fairly small bird of foothill forest understory. Black plumage with obvious white mark in front of the shoulder, and white both above and below the base of the tail. Belly is white in most of the range but black in the northeast. Very similar to Pied Bushchat but White-rumped Robin has a white patch in front of rather than on the shoulder, and lives in forest rather than grassland. A series of medium-pitch whistled notes starting with a single higher note.
Identification
Measuring 13 to 14 cm (5.1 to 5.5 in), the white-rumped robin has black plumage with a white rump and upper tail coverts. It has white patches on the sides of its breast. The abdomen is white in the nominate subspecies, and black with some white in the subspecies vicarius. The female closely resembles the male, but its black feathers have brown tinges. The bill and feet are black, and the eyes are dark brown.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Melanodryas bimaculata
- Authority
- (Salvadori, 1874)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Petroicidae
- Genus
- Melanodryas
Range and habitat
The white-rumped robin is found in the highlands of New Guinea from altitudes of 300 to 1,700 m (980 to 5,580 ft). Within the rainforest it is found in pairs in the understory or on the ground. It is insectivorous.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Red-vented Malimbe
Malimbus scutatus
A striking black-and-red forest malimbe with a unique red patch on the vent. Male has a black face and a red crown, neck and breast; female only has red on the breast. A fairly common resident within its range, found in pairs in the middle levels and canopy of tall primary and secondary lowland forest, farmbush, cultivation, and clumps of trees near villages. Occasionally joins flocks, sometimes with other malimbes, and gleans leaves and thin twigs in the manner of a tit. Calls include a hard “tchuk” and also a cicada-like “zee-zee-zee.” Other similar-looking malimbes lack the red vent patch.
North Island Kokako
Callaeas wilsoni
Large songbird confined to a few scattered forests in the northern half of the North Island of New Zealand, and some offshore island sanctuaries where predator control is undertaken. Adults have a slate blue-gray body with vibrant cerulean wattles and a distinct black mask. Juvenile has smaller, pale pink wattles and a smaller face mask. Note the long downcurved tail and long legs, which help them bound around treetops with small wing flaps. Prefers not to fly but can glide for a few hundred meters when needed. Heard before seen at dawn; its unique, haunting song is composed of rich, sustained, organ-like notes. Often sings from a high perch and flaps its wings as it calls.
White-lored Warbler
Myiothlypis conspicillata
Gray and yellow warbler found only in the Santa Marta Mountains of Colombia. Note the white crescents above and below the eye, white stripe between the eye and the bill, and the dark crown stripes. Usually encountered in pairs that stay quite low inside cloud forest. Gives a squeaky, high-pitched series of notes, and pairs often sing together. Regularly seen in El Dorado Nature Reserve, often near the lodge.
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