Spotted Scrubwren
Sericornis maculatus
Small scrubwren with white eyebrow and pale iris. Has a dark face with a clear white eyebrow and chin stripe. Primarily olive-brown with a black-and-white shoulder patch and paler front. Chin is white with fine black streaking on breast and upper belly. This species is found in southwestern Australia, across the southern coast, to its eastern-most location along Spencer Gulf just north of Adelaide. Found in a wide range of habitats but typically only present where there is reasonably thick undergrowth. It often makes a grumpy buzzing call but also sings a clear musical song. Formerly considered a subspecies of White-browed Scrubwren.
Taxonomy
Sericornis maculatus includes the following subspecies:
- Scientific name
- Sericornis maculatus
- Authority
- Gould, 1847
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Acanthizidae
- Genus
- Sericornis
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinella
Male distinctive, with bright yellow head, yellowish underparts. Female is drab and streaky, usually with yellowish wash to face, and often found with bright males. Note bright rusty rump. White outer tail feathers flash in flight. A species of heathland, forest clearings, and farmland with hedges. Male sings from a prominent perch, giving a dry and uninspired “dzidzidzidzidzi.” Forms flocks in winter, feeding mainly on ground in search of seeds. A native of Eurasia, introduced to New Zealand and a few adjacent islands.
Green-backed Kingfisher
Actenoides monachus
An unmistakable, spectacular large forest kingfisher with a big orange bill, a moss-green back, burnt-orange underparts, and a white throat. Head is bright azure-blue in north and central Sulawesi, but very dark blackish-blue in the south. Females show rufous facial markings that are absent in males. Juveniles are duller, with horn-colored bills. Found singly and in pairs in forest understory of lowlands and lower hills. Vocal around dawn, when it repeats drawn-out mournful whistles, “woooo-eEEE,” that get gradually louder. Also gives a distressed dry chatter.
Jackson's Hornbill
Tockus jacksoni
A medium-sized black-and-white hornbill. Males have a mostly red bill with a small yellow or white tip; females have an all-black bill. Both sexes show white spotting across the wing. Found locally in dry savanna, usually in pairs or small groups. Similar to Von der Decken’s and Northern Red-billed Hornbills, but separated from the former by the white-spotted wing and from the latter by the yellow-tipped (male) or all-black (female) bill. The call is a series of low clucks.
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