Blue-faced Rail
Gymnocrex rosenbergii
A large, distinctive, poorly known rail from the islands of Peleng and Sulawesi. Rich, deep chestnut above and jet black below, and a diagnostic patch of sky-blue skin behind the eye. Terrestrial, inhabiting dense understory within the forest of both lowlands and foothills, and sometimes also reported in dense scrub at edges of rice paddies. Blue facial patch renders it unmistakable in its limited range. Rarely heard, but vocalizations include a snoring song and soft clucking sounds.
Identification
The blue-faced rail is a 30 cm, medium-sized, secretive, forest rail. It has a conspicuous patch of bare cobalt-blue skin around the eye that gives the bird its distinctive name. The blue-faced rail makes a snoring sound apparently similar to that of the snoring rail, and it also gives off a quiet clucking sound in alarm.
Taxonomy
Genus: Gymnocrex; Family: Rallidae; Order: Gruiformes.
- Scientific name
- Gymnocrex rosenbergii
- Authority
- (Schlegel, 1866)
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rallidae
- Genus
- Gymnocrex
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Black Guan
Chamaepetes unicolor
Large chickenlike bird found in montane forests. Entirely black plumage with blue facial skin, red eye, and reddish legs. Sexes similar. Unlikely to be confused: smaller and blacker than Crested Guan; lacks curled head feathers of Great Curassow; also found at higher elevations. Can be seen on the ground or in trees, usually in pairs or small family groups. Feeds on fruit.
Chimango Caracara
Daptrius chimango
Noisy, conspicuous, and often a common scavenger in habitats ranging from towns and cities to open forest, farmland, and beaches; ecological counterpart to crows. Often in groups, locally of tens or even hundreds, feeding on the ground or tumbling and sailing with agile flight; often chases and mobs larger raptors. Plumage brownish overall, often with gingery tones, and with variable paler dappling above and fine barring below. Bold creamy white wing panels and tail base striking in flight.
Rufous-bellied Tit
Melaniparus rufiventris
Black-headed tit with white edges to the wing feathers. Varies geographically: pale-buff on the belly with a brown eye in the eastern part of the range, and rich-rufous with a yellow eye in the western part of the range. Found in low densities in broadleaf woodland, mainly miombo, though locally also in mopane and Zambezi teak woodland. Vocalizations are classic scratchy tit calls and clear, high-pitched up-and-down series.
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