Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush
Pterorhinus pectoralis
A large, long-tailed, thrushlike bird of dense forests. Note its black necklace, streaked white cheek patch, and pale band near the tip of the tail. Very similar to Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush; note dark eye and ‘contained’ (completely encircled) cheek patch. Shy and difficult to see well. Usually found in small flocks in wet lowland and hill forest, often near streams. Song is a series of loud whistles, not as long or varied as that of Hwamei. Native to East and Southeast Asia; introduced to the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Pterorhinus pectoralis
- Authority
- (Gould, 1836)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Leiothrichidae
- Genus
- Pterorhinus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
In mixed-species foraging flocks, greater necklaced laughingthrushes tend to be dominant. Mimicry in lesser necklaced laughingthrushes of greater necklaced laughingthrushes may have been selected for as a result.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Brown Thornbill
Acanthiza pusilla
Small bird with thin pointed bill. Upperparts brown, underparts grayish brown, with dark red eye, reddish-brown forehead, and white throat with dark streaking. Similar Tasmanian Thornbill has longer tail and rufous-brown panel on wings; Inland Thornbill has grayer upperparts, more streaking on the breast, and a longer tail; and Striated Thornbill has more greenish upperparts, thin white streaking in reddish-brown cap, and pale eyebrow. Inhabits a wide variety of shrub habitats, where usually seen in small groups or pairs.
Bougainville Island-Thrush
Turdus bougainvillei
Poorly-known and seldom-seen thrush endemic to Bougainville, in the northwestern Solomons, where it inhabits montane forests. Dark overall, with orange bill, eyering, legs, and feet. Behavior poorly-known, but like other Island-Thrushes, likely forages at all levels of forest, especially on the ground. Vocalizations are poorly understood.
African Paradise-Flycatcher
Terpsiphone viridis
This remarkable flycatcher occurs in both rufous and white morphs, but it always has grayish underparts and a strong crest. The breeding male has ludicrous central tail feathers, twenty centimeters long, that trail like the ribbon of a rhythmic gymnast, while the female lacks the tail streamers and has a smaller crest. Singles and pairs occasionally join flocks in open woodland, riverine forest, and thickets, avoiding lowland evergreen forest. Very vocal, often giving a repeated grating “dzee-zwee” call and a sweet melodic “willie-willie-willie-wee-wooo” song. The very similar Rufous-vented Paradise-Flycatcher differs from African Paradise-Flycatcher by having a rufous undertail and a shorter crest.
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