Pale-billed Sicklebill
Drepanornis bruijnii
A large, long-billed bird of lowland forest. Brown upperparts with black head and grayish facial skin behind the eye. Note the curved, pale bill. Male has a black throat, sides and two small, hornlike tufts on the head. Female has pale underparts with dark barring. Similar to female Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise and Magnificent Riflebird, but female Pale-billed Sicklebill has a longer, thinner, more curved bill. One of several vocalizations, a descending series of low whistles, reminiscent of Common Potoo.
Identification
The pale-billed sicklebill is medium-sized, about 35 cm long, olive brown. The male has a bare purple grey skin around its eye, brown iris, pale sickle-like bill, an iridescent red and purple-tipped upper breast plumes, blue and green-tipped ornamental lower breast feathers and purple small horn-like brow feathers. The unadorned female is smaller and paler than the male.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Drepanornis bruijnii
- Authority
- Oustalet, 1879
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Paradisaeidae
- Genus
- Drepanornis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The pale-billed sicklebill is distributed to lowland rainforests of northern and northwestern New Guinea. Its diet consists mainly of fruits and arthropods.<p>Due to deforestation and habitat lost on this limited range species, the pale-billed sicklebill is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
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Secretive pheasant-like cuckoo that is more often heard than seen; listen for its dove-like “coo-KOO” song and odd sneeze-like call. Beautiful if seen well: iridescent purple-green wings, long dark tail, finely barred underparts, black head, and pale blue-green face and bill. Forages on the ground, often following ant swarms or Bornean bearded pigs as they flush out potential prey. Favors pristine lowland rainforests, particularly in riverine or swampy areas.
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Little Brown Bustard
Heterotetrax humilis
A small and relatively short-necked bustard. The male has a black-and-gray pattern on the head, while the female is plainer, but with abundant white spotting. Both sexes show a white belly. A white bar across the wing is conspicuous in flight. Found in dry savanna, shrubland, and semi-desert habitats. Often in pairs. Smaller than other bustards in its range. Somewhat like Buff-crested Bustard, but has a white rather than black belly.
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