Pied Shrike-Babbler
Pteruthius flaviscapis
Stout medium-sized bird of foothill and montane forests. Endemic to Java, where it is the only “white-browed” shrike-babbler. Male is dark above and white below, with a bold yellow wing panel and bright white eyebrow. Female averages duller than the male, with grayish upperparts, olive-yellow wings, and a weaker white eyebrow. Hops about in the middle and upper levels of forest, gleaning prey from branches and leaf clusters. Sometimes with mixed flocks. Song is a bright but rather bland series of 3-5 notes: “wi-chew-chew” or “wi-chew-ba-chew-ba.”
Identification
The pied shrike-babbler (Pteruthius flaviscapis) is a bird species traditionally considered an aberrant Old World babbler and placed in the family Timaliidae. But as it seems, it belongs to an Asian offshoot of the American vireos and may well belong in the Vireonidae. Indeed, since long it was noted that their habits resemble those of vireos, but this was believed to be the result of convergent evolution. It is endemic to Java. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the white-browed shrike-babbler.
Taxonomy
Genus: Pteruthius; Family: Vireonidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Pteruthius flaviscapis
- Authority
- (Temminck, 1836)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Vireonidae
- Genus
- Pteruthius
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
Migration pattern: Vertical migration.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush
Pterorhinus treacheri
Attractive and often confiding laughingthrush, often found around lodges and trails. Endemic to Borneo’s highlands, where it can be one of the most frequently-encountered birds in montane forest and forest edge. Note dark chestnut head, gray body, bright orange bill, and bright silvery wing stripe. Pale crescent behind eye gives it a cartoonishly large-eyed appearance. Hops on the ground and along branches, often with small mammals and other birds, particularly Sunda Laughingthrush. Song, often heard at dawn, is a series of repetitive, rising, mellow warbles. Calls include a harsh buzzing “churrrrr” and rattling notes.
Yellow Longbill
Macrosphenus flavicans
An unusual warbler with a long bill and yellow eyes. Brownish above and dull yellow below with a gray head and whitish throat. Found in rainforest, mainly in dense tangles at middle levels, usually in pairs or small groups. Similar in appearance to other longbills, but with a good view, separated by the coloration of the underparts. Most often detected by the distinctive song: a long series of clear whistled notes in which each note is slightly lower in pitch. The pattern is similar to that of Sabine’s Puffback, and the individual notes sound very batis-like.
Australian Magpie
Gymnorhina tibicen
Large black-and-white bird with long, pale bill with dark tip. Larger than butcherbirds and differently patterned. Black head, face, underparts, white nape, upperwing coverts, and rump, and either black or white back (subspecies vary in plumage). Widespread in farmland, parks, and open woodlands, where usually seen in pairs or groups strutting on the ground. Song a memorable fluty warble.
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