White-tailed Robin
Myiomela leucura
Stately ground-dwelling songbird of dense mid- to upper-elevation broadleaf and mixed forests, particularly in areas with bamboo. Male a striking rich blue with brighter patches on crown and wings, female brown overall with white throat and belly. Both sexes have large white patches on sides of tail that flash brightly in the gloom of the forest when fanned. When the white tail patch is not visible, ground-dwelling habits and horizontal posture distinguish male from the similar Large Niltava. Song is beautiful, a short series of ringing silvery whistles, usually rising. Most common call is a high thin “tzin.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Myiomela leucura
- Authority
- (Hodgson, 1845)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Myiomela
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Bird Calls
Other Birds

Mediterranean Gull
Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
Medium-sized gull, slightly larger than Black-headed Gull, more similar to Common Gull in size and shape but bill stouter. Adult is distinctive, the only small gull with snow-white wingtips; breeding plumage has black hood. Nonbreeding and immature have distinctive, dark smudges behind each ear. Juvenile has mottled brownish back, which molts to pale gray by winter. Breeds in typically water-adjacent colonies scattered throughout Europe and Western Asia, often with Black-headed Gulls. Frequently found with flocks of other medium-sized gulls outside of the breeding season.

Fire-crested Alethe
Alethe castanea
A common understory bird found in the undergrowth or on the ground in forests of all types, from the lowlands into the foothills. The reddish-brown back and tail are noticeable when the bird flies away in the undergrowth, but look also for the white undersides, dark gray legs, and gray face. This alethe’s fiery crest is hard to see in the field and often appears as a reddish-brown crown stripe. Sometimes imitates other species, including illadopsises. Distinguished from Brown-chested Alethe by its plain gray face, dark legs, and reddish crown stripe. Gives a distinctive two-parted whistle, “go where?”, with a distinct pause between the notes.

Shy Ground Dove
Pampusana stairi
A rotund, short-legged ground-dwelling dove that usually runs rather than flies when startled. Male has a distinctive dark purple back, wings, and belly, a whitish chest crescent, and a light gray chest and head. Females usually resemble males, though some have purple-brown bodies with a very ruddy chest and head. Inhabits most forest habitats, including rainforest and bamboo thickets. Very shy. Sometimes heard giving a series of low-pitched, typical dove-like hooting notes.
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