Bougainville Fantail
Rhipidura drownei
Small and drab with a long, often fanned tail. Mostly gray-brown above and slightly lighter tawny below, with a grayish head and a white eyebrow. Inhabits montane forest above 700 meters of elevation. Similar to White-winged Fantail, but has a plain grayish chest. Separated from Solomons Rufous Fantail by much duller plumage and lack of white tail tip. Voice includes a faint, high-pitched tinkling whistle.
Identification
It is a small bird from 9-10 up to 14 cm long) dark bird with a long tail, which it often spreads like a fan. The main color of the plumage is brown, which is reflected in the former English name of this species. Upperparts - greyish-brown, underparts somewhat lighter, gray with an ocher tint and a faint white streak. The wings are brown above, the tail is light brown. The chest and head are greyish. On the head above the eye - a white stripe - "eyebrow" Sometimes there is also a light strip under the eye. Iris is dark brown. The beak is black or greyish brown, with a paler base underneath. The neck is whitish-gray. Legs are brownish gray. Males and females are rather similar, but females are somewhat smaller. Juveniles are also similar to adults, but their plumage is duller and lacks the white markings on the head and throat; the rufous color on the wings and tail is paler.<p>The voice is like a weak but piercing ringing whistle.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Rhipidura drownei
- Authority
- Mayr, 1931
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Rhipiduridae
- Genus
- Rhipidura
Range and habitat
The Bougainville fantail inhabits mountain forests at an altitude of more than 700 meters above sea level (adults are usually above 900 m) and at least up to 1600 m..
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
It feeds on all tiers of the forest, catching insects on the fly or looking them out from the foliage. It may join mixed-species flocks for foraging.<p>The nest is small cup-shaped with a very small hanging tail. All the construction is entwined with cobwebs. It is built at a height of about 2 m above the ground in a fork of a horizontal branch.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Ayacucho Thistletail
Asthenes ayacuchensis
Poorly known thistletail found only in a small area of the high Andes east of the city of Ayacucho in southern Peru. It is brown above, gray below, with a long wispy tail and a reddish-orange chin patch. It has a darker chin patch than Vilcabamba Thistletail and Puna Thistletail, and is not known to overlap with either species. It inhabits scrub and stunted forest near treeline. Song is a rapid, high-pitched trill.
Alpine Accentor
Prunella collaris
Stocky, stout, and unobtrusive bird of alpine regions above the treeline. Often seen shuffling around boulders in small groups. Distinctive dark wing panel bordered by pale spots forming two wingbars, particularly obvious in flight. Barred throat can be difficult to see but chestnut flanks with white streaks distinctive. Flight is strong and fast before diving behind rocks.
Chestnut-bellied Thrush
Turdus fulviventris
Handsome cloud forest thrush found mainly along the east slope of the Andes. Visitors from North America may be struck by its similarity to American Robin. No other thrush in range has a chestnut belly. Adults also have a dark hood, yellow bill, and yellow eyering. Young birds lack the dark hood and have mottled underparts. Uncommon and usually encountered feeding in fruiting trees; rarely comes down to the ground.
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