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
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Medium-sized, plain antpitta found in a limited area of the eastern Andes in south central Peru. It is uniform brown lacking strong field marks, but the pale eyering helps separate it from the similar Oxapampa Antpitta. Range and voice are also very important for ID. Typical songs include a short “bit-burr” and a series of five or six grating whistles. Inhabits the understory of high elevation forest and is mostly terrestrial, but sometimes perches higher to sing. It was formerly considered a subspecies of what used to be called Rufous Antpitta.
Foxy Cisticola
Cisticola troglodytes
A small, distinctive, bright rufous upland cisticola. Remarkably plain: rufous on the upperparts and buff below. The unmarked face often has a gentle expression. Found locally in savanna and dry woodland. Inconspicuous and somewhat secretive. Can be similar to Rufous and Siffling Cisticolas but always plainer and more rufous. The vocalizations include a rising squeaky note and lower spitting notes.
Yellow-billed Kingfisher
Syma torotoro
Small green kingfisher with orange head and bright yellow bill, found in wet rainforest on Cape York Peninsula and in New Guinea. In flight, note uniformly colored wings (no wing spots). Adult female has small black cap. Juvenile similar to adult but with black bill. Call a rolling, descending trill, rather like call of Fan-tailed Cuckoo.
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