Capuchin Babbler
Turdoides atripennis
A chunky, short-tailed babbler with a purple-brown body, a yellowish bill and legs, and a mostly silver-gray head; the amount of black and gray on the throat and crown differ geographically. Unmistakable if seen well. Family groups of 5–12 are local residents skulking in the undergrowth and tangles of forest, secondary growth, and riparian thickets in savanna. Groups mostly communicate with dry harsh grating calls and chattering, but occasionally give a whimsical high-pitched, downslurred thrush-like whistle: “wheeeer.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Turdoides atripennis
- Authority
- (Swainson, 1837)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Leiothrichidae
- Genus
- Turdoides
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Other Birds
Rennell Starling
Aplonis insularis
A medium-sized, uniformly black starling with a glossy purplish-bluish sheen and a short tail. Bill is relatively thick and stubby. Arrow-shaped throat feathers are often puffed out. Eye pale orange. Juvenile resembles adult, but dustier in color, with a gray eye. Prefers forest edge; less common inside forest and open areas. Very similar to Singing Starling, but distinguished by pale eye, shorter tail, and lack of dark streaks on belly of juvenile. Song consists of metallic warbling. Common call is a metallic “chink.”
Little Corella
Cacatua sanguinea
Small, vocal white cockatoo with an erectile crest. Primarily white with a small pink patch in front of the eye. Very conspicuous, and often forms large, noisy flocks (up to several thousand birds) around water sources. Roosts in trees and nests in hollows, but primarily feeds on the ground. Well known for its comical antics; they often appear to play with one another. Typically loud, with a slurred multi-note falsetto call.
Sunbittern
Eurypyga helias
One of the most dazzling of all the world’s birds; the intricate yellow, red, and black pattern on the spread wings is truly otherworldly. When standing, rather heronlike shape but with a more horizontal posture and longer tail. Also look for striped black-and-white head and barred back. Found singly or in pairs along rivers or swamps, usually standing quietly along the shore. Listen for long whistles at dawn and dusk.
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