Red-tailed Ant-Thrush
Neocossyphus rufus
A simply patterned, long-tailed rufous thrush. The tail has a dark center and pale reddish sides. Found on or near the ground in humid forest, where it is generally shy and retiring. Often follows ant swarms. Similar to White-tailed Ant-Thrush, but has a reddish rather than black-and-white reddish tail. Also similar to Rufous Flycatcher-Thrush, but has more horizontal posture, and found near the ground rather than at middle levels of the forest. The song is variable and sometimes long: a descending single whistle, two whistles, or a sequence of whistles and trilled notes. The call is a short, trilled “brttt.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Neocossyphus rufus
- Authority
- (Fischer, GA & Reichenow, 1884)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Neocossyphus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Lovely Cotinga
Cotinga amabilis
Unobtrusive, rather chunky bird of forest canopy in tropical forest of humid lowlands. Most often seen as a single male perched on exposed high branches, less often at fruiting trees where can be quite low. Male is unmistakable: brilliant electric blue (glowing even at long range) with plum-colored throat and belly patch. Female very different: pale grayish overall with white scalloping above and dusky dappling below. Basically silent.
Gray-green Scrubwren
Aethomyias arfakianus
A small bird of lower montane forest interior. Whitish belly, pale gray head and greenish wing. Pale grayish wash on the chest with faint streaking, offsetting the whitish throat. Actively searches leaves and branches for insects in small groups. Co-occurs at elevations with other scrubwrens including Vogelkop, Pale-billed and Perplexing, but Gray-green has olive rather than warm brown upperparts. Song, a scratchy jumble of notes followed by an up and down “chi-doo! chi-doo! chi-doo!”. Calls, various raspy, nasal notes and chattering.
Calandra Lark
Melanocorypha calandra
Large lark with a strong, thick bill and an obvious pale eyebrow. Thick black patches at the neck sides can vary with posture and between individuals. In flight, dark underwings with white trailing edge to upperwings are diagnostic. "Slow-motion" wingbeats in song flight make it look bigger than it is. An inhabitant of open farmland and natural steppe. May form large flocks in winter. Jumbled song consists of trills and chips, and frequently mimics other species.
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