Crested Jayshrike
Platylophus galericulatus
This dark, medium-sized bird would be fairly unremarkable were it not for the exceptionally long crest sticking vertically out of its head. Sumatran and Bornean birds are brown, while birds on Java and the Malay Peninsula are black. Blocky white crescent behind the eye flashes as the bird moves through dense foliage in lowland and foothill broadleaf forests. Raucous; most commonly gives noisy rattles, also whistles and chips.
Identification
The crested jayshrike or crested shrikejay (Platylophus galericulatus), formerly known as the crested jay (despite not being a true jay), is a species of bird found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. It is the only member of the genus Platylophus and the family Platylophidae. Although traditionally placed in the family Corvidae, its taxonomy has been under contention since the 2000s, as phylogenetic analyses indicate that it is not a true corvid, but rather a basal member of the Corvoidea radiation. Some authorities have suggested that it may belong to the helmetshrikes. In 2019, eBird and the Clements Checklist renamed the species the crested shrikejay and placed it in its own family, the Platylophidae, which was undescribed at the time. In 2021, the family Platylophidae was officially described, and in 2022 the International Ornithological Congress reclassified the species into Platylophidae. However, the family name Lophocittidae, originally described as Lophocitteae in 1855 by Johann Jakob Kaup, may have referred to the crested shrikejay, and if so would take precedence over Platylophidae. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. It is threatened by habitat loss from illegal logging and land conversion for farming, as well as wildfires and capture for the wildlife trade. Research conducted by a team led by EcoVerde Global Consulting found that the crested jayshrike is used as a “master bird” to train other songbird species. Despite it receiving legal protection in Indonesia in 2018, the trade in the bird markets remained open and the number of individuals for the species remained unchanged over a 15 year period
Taxonomy
Genus: Platylophus; Family: Platylophidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Platylophus galericulatus
- Authority
- (Cuvier, 1816)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Platylophidae
- Genus
- Platylophus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Comoro Thrush
Turdus bewsheri
A typical thrush in shape and size, but with unusual brown coloration. Varies significantly across the three islands where it occurs, and these populations may be full species. The Grand Comoro birds have plain pale brown underparts, the Moheli birds have darker blotching below, and the distinctive Anjouan birds are scaled on the underparts. Found in humid forest, secondary habitats, and plantations, mostly at higher elevations, though down to sea level in some places. The song is a typical thrush mix of whistles and quavering notes, whose exact structure varies on the different islands. Also gives “pik” notes, short trills, and a high-pitched “seet.”
Gray Junglefowl
Gallus sonneratii
Common relative of the domestic chicken. Endemic to peninsular India where it occurs in deciduous and evergreen forest. Males are grayish with golden markings on the wings, whitish spotting around the neck, a long glossy-black tail, pinkish feet. Red comb and wattle are smaller than the widespread Red Junglefowl. Females are rather plain, lacking the long tail, comb and wattle; yellowish legs and bold white spotting on underparts separate them from similar looking female Red Junglefowl. Quite noisy, their “kuk-ku-kuwuk-ku” calls are heard almost year-round.
Himalayan Shortwing
Brachypteryx cruralis
Tiny, stumpy bird of dense undergrowth. Male is dark slate-blue with broad white eyebrows that give him the appearance of a furious little old man. Female is warm pale brown all over. In areas of overlap with Chinese and Lesser Shortwings, look out for the all-dark lower belly, which is white in those species. Inhabits hill and montane forest, where it forages in dense undergrowth, frequently in proximity to streams. Song is composed of high thin whistles with short bursts of clicking chattering mixed in.
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