Fan-tailed Monarch
Symposiachrus axillaris
Medium-sized bird of mid-montane forest. Fairly long tail is often held cocked. All glossy black with a white tuft in front of the shoulder. Female is slightly duller. Found in pairs and sometimes associates with other species. Often catches insects on the wing. Very similar to Black Fantail, but Fan-tailed Monarch has the distinctive white tuft and a different vocalization. Also, tail is only partially fanned. Voice, scratchy, grating notes.
Taxonomy
This species was formerly placed in the genus Monarcha until moved to Symposiachrus in 2009. Alternate names include the black monarch flycatcher, fantail monarch and fantailed monarch.<p>There are two subspecies recognized:
- Scientific name
- Symposiachrus axillaris
- Authority
- (Salvadori, 1876)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Monarchidae
- Genus
- Symposiachrus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
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Sula granti
Large seabird, very similar to Masked Booby. Long and pointy on all ends: wings, tail, and bill. Adults mostly gleaming white with black flight feathers and face; note pinkish-orange (not yellow) bill to help separate from adult Masked. Young birds darker overall with brown head contrasting with white belly and dirty brown markings on underwings; very similar to young Masked or even adult Brown Booby. Found in the Pacific Ocean from Mexico to Peru where it feeds on fish; breeds on rocky islands, especially the Galapagos.
Cassin's Flycatcher
Muscicapa cassini
Slim flycatcher that is mostly gray, with black wings and tail. Found along rainforest streams and rivers at low and moderate elevations. Usually perches on rocks or low on dead branches. The quiet song is a mix of rasps, trills, and high-pitched whistles. Water-loving habits usually separate this species from other gray flycatchers. Similar to Dusky-blue and Ashy Flycatchers, but plainer on the face than those species.
Bristle-thighed Curlew
Numenius tahitiensis
A large shorebird with a long, curved bill. Similar to Whimbrel but warmer brown and with a cinnamon-colored rump. The bristly feathers on the upper legs are visible at close range. Breeds in upland tundra; during the nonbreeding season occurs in wetlands, sand dunes, rocky shores, pastures, and golf courses. Almost exclusively occurs in remote, hard to reach areas throughout the year, though does winter in reasonable numbers on the Hawaiian Islands (especially Oahu). Call is a loud “kee-oo-ee”, notably different than the common call of Whimbrel.
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