South Moluccan Sunbird
Cinnyris clementiae
Tiny and active sunbird of forest edges and open woodlands, endemic to the South Moluccas and Kai Islands. Male is olive above, with an extensive iridescent blue-black throat and a black breast and belly. Female is olive above, with a bright yellow eyebrow and underparts. Compare with the more uniformly iridescent black male and the gray-headed, plainer female of Black Sunbird. In both sexes, note white tail edges that are flared out in flight. Gives descending “chew” calls, sometimes in accelerating series, as well as a fizzy song. Formerly grouped with other, closely related species under “Olive-backed Sunbird.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Cinnyris clementiae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Nectariniidae
- Genus
- Cinnyris
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Field Sparrow
Spizella pusilla
Small, slender, blank-faced sparrow. Can be either gray or buffy overall, but always note small pink bill, plain face, and thin white eyering. Inhabits overgrown fields and other brushy areas in eastern North America. Often joins flocks of sparrows in winter. Can visit feeders, but less frequently than Chipping or American Tree sparrows. Song is a series of bell-like notes, accelerating like a dropped ping-pong ball.
Gray-hooded Parakeet
Psilopsiagon aymara
Small, gregarious parakeet of the high Andes from central Argentina to Lake Titicaca. Tends to forage in small groups in shorter shrubs and bushes, including Polylepis. Often near roadsides, settlements and roadsides. Prefers hillsides, and is absent from most flat areas of the altiplano. From Mountain Parakeet by white throat, gray cap, and longer tail. Calls a quiet, three part “squi-da-dit” given quickly and often in flight.
Malayan Partridge
Arborophila campbelli
Small and reclusive gamebird of the Malay Peninsula’s forested highlands. If seen well, note white cheeks, dark head, and dappled tortoiseshell back and wings. Like other Arborophila partridges, typically forages quietly on the forest floor in pairs or small groups—rarely out in the open, but can be tame at feeding blinds. Listen for its loud song, a repetitive series of rising ringing notes.
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