Chinese Shortwing
Brachypteryx sinensis
Shy and skulky ground-dweller of hill forests with dense undergrowth; especially favors damp, dark areas near streams, fallen trunks, and accumulated debris. Male is slate-blue, with paler undertail and lower belly; also note his thin white eyebrow. Female is dark dirt-brown, with paler underparts and a faint rufous eyering. Difficult to see in tangled understory, but can be readily detected through the male’s song, a series of pure, short whistles followed by a quick jumble of notes, which sometimes include a buzz. Calls include a “tchik” and a rattling series.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Brachypteryx sinensis
- Authority
- Rickett, 1897
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Brachypteryx
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
White-eared Bronze-Cuckoo
Chalcites meyerii
A small cuckoo of foothill and mid-montane forest. Underparts white with dark bars from bill to tail. Emerald green above with rufous flight feathers and obvious white ear crescents. Male has bright red eyes and female a rufous forehead. Regularly found in mixed species flocks. Potentially co-occurs with other bronze-cuckoo species, but White-eared Bronze-Cuckoo is the only species with a dark cheek and white ear mark. Call, a series of loud, downward “piuu!” notes.
Olive-backed Woodpecker
Gecinulus rafflesii
Medium-sized crested woodpecker with an olive-brown body and a black-and-white-striped head and neck; quite dull and dark for a flameback. Crest is bright red in males and black in females. Inhabits lowland and hill forests, where it forages both at middle levels and close to the ground, both singly and in pairs. Generally fairly uncommon and local. Gives cacophonous descending calls, often with a rasping quality.
Buff-rumped Woodpecker
Meiglyptes grammithorax
Adorable small woodpecker with a large crested head, boldly marked black-and-white wings, and big dark eyes. Also note finely barred belly. Male has a faint red “moustache” stripe. Inhabits lowland and foothill forests and forest edge, where it often forages in pairs, poking along on the ends of thinner branches and between bark crevices. Sometimes visits ant nests in the forest canopy. Joins mixed flocks. Gives high chittering calls, as well as a rising “pwit!”
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