Hunter's Cisticola
Cisticola hunteri
A large, plain cisticola with a reddish cap and two bands across the tail tip, one pale and one dark. Found in open montane habitats with thick herbaceous undergrowth, including forest edge, grassland, and heath, almost always in pairs or small groups. As with other cisticolas, habitat and vocalizations are important to identification. Very similar to Chubb’s Cisticola, but in the small area of overlap, Hunter’s occurs at higher elevations, and is distinguished by the softly streaked back and different vocalizations. Fairly similar to Singing Cisticola, but lacks a rufous panel in the wings. The distinctive song is given in chorus: a frantic series of spitting notes that runs up and down the scale, accompanied by simpler “cher-wee” calls.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Cisticola hunteri
- Authority
- Shelley, 1889
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Genus
- Cisticola
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Grimwood's Longclaw
Macronyx grimwoodi
A large pipit-like bird that is much less colorful than other longclaws, with a dull pinkish-buff throat, cinnamon-tawny underparts and extensive dense dark streaking elsewhere. During the breeding season the throat and belly may flush brighter pink, and a small white shoulder patch may be visible. Pairs are localized residents, preferring short grass on floodplains and dambos (seasonally flooded wetlands); retreating to wettest habitats where other longclaws co-occur. Calls an extended series of high-pitched trilling or buzzing notes that sound insect-like, different from other longclaws. Similar but smaller Rosy-throated Longclaw differs from Grimwood’s by having a bold black gorget and brighter pink throat and underparts.
Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher
Bias musicus
Unusual, chunky, short-tailed, crested, yellow-eyed member of the vanga family. Males are strikingly black-and-white, with a small white patch at the front of the wing. Females have a chestnut back, blackish head, and pale underparts. The wings are short and rounded, and the flight is weak. Found in the canopy of humid forest, at low and middle elevations, often along forest edge and clearings. The variable song consists of slurred whistles. Calls include rasps and clearer bulbul-like notes.
Campo Troupial
Icterus jamacaii
Large and attractive blackbird with a long tail and a sharply pointed bill. Mostly black with a bright orange collar, belly, and rump. The orange shoulder patch and white wing patch stand out on its otherwise black wing. Note the piercing yellow eyes. Inhabits the edge of dry forests (caatinga) and is also seen in gardens and urban parks. The song is a series of pleasant whistles and the calls include harsh notes.
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