Rufous-sided Broadbill
Smithornis rufolateralis
A small broadbill of lowland wet forests, often found near water in thick vines and tangles. Note the compact shape, the white throat, the rufous chest, the thin black streaking on the underparts, and the white spangling on the wings. Males have dark heads and backs. Like other African broadbills, has a white patch on the back that can be concealed by other feathers. Overlaps locally with both African Broadbill and Gray-headed Broadbill, but note Rufous-sided Broadbill’s habitat, the rufous on its chest, and the white spots on the wings. Most often located by its display sound, a decidedly frog-like trilling “brrrt” that lasts up to half a second, rising in pitch.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Smithornis rufolateralis
- Authority
- Gray, GR, 1864
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Calyptomenidae
- Genus
- Smithornis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Chestnut-capped Babbler
Timalia pileata
Distinctive brown babbler with a small black mask, white throat, and rusty orange cap. Color scheme loosely similar to that of Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, but has a proportionally longer and broader tail, no solid streaking on the breast, and a short, dark, uncurved bill. Inhabits reedbeds, tall grass, scrub, and weedy edges. Listen for its chattering and metallic call notes as flocks move around noisily in cover. Song is variable, but is usually some variant of a chittering whinny.
Speckled Mousebird
Colius striatus
A geographically-variable, dumpy-bodied, brownish-gray bird with a long, scruffy tail. Differentiated from other mousebirds by its blackish face and gray-brown crest. It is often found scrambling through bushes and tangles, creeping around on short legs. In flight, it flutters rapidly, and its tail seems to drag it down, as if it were too heavy to make it to the next bush. Occurs in small, sociable groups in forest edge, savanna, thickets in grassland, and gardens, feeding on fruit, leaves, flowers, and nectar. After eating, birds may hang upside-down and expose the black skin on their bellies to absorb heat and aid digestion.
Bearded Vulture
Gypaetus barbatus
Breathtakingly majestic inhabitant of high and remote mountain ranges, where they build large nests on cliff ledges or in caves. Even as a distant speck, this is an unmistakable raptor, with an almost albatross-like wing shape and span, coupled with a long diamond-shaped tail. Adults are orange-rust below with a dark underwing, and slate gray above. The young are gray with a dark head. Cruises along ridgetops on flat wings, sometimes arched downwards.
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