White-bellied Whistler
Pachycephala leucogastra
A chunky, thick-billed sparrow-sized songbird. Male is uniform gray above with a black head and a conspicuous white throat patch bordered below by a thick black chest band. Underparts are dull whitish. Female lacks black on head. Juvenile resembles a browner female, but is boldly streaked below. Singles and pairs can be found in upper levels of savanna woodlands, mangroves, and plantations. Differs from Black-headed Whistler in having a clear-cut white throat. Song is a slurred “soooweet” or “weet-weet-weet…” ending with either a whipping note, or a short jumble of strident notes.
Taxonomy
The name 'white-bellied whistler' is also used as an alternate name for the mangrove whistler, white-vented whistler, rufous whistler and the white-breasted whistler.<p>Two subspecies are recognized:
- Scientific name
- Pachycephala leucogastra
- Authority
- Salvadori & D'Albertis, 1875
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pachycephalidae
- Genus
- Pachycephala
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Regent Bowerbird
Sericulus chrysocephalus
Small forest bowerbird. Males and females differ greatly. Males are black with stunning bright gold on the head and wings. Females are light brown with scalloping on the breast and back; they are much smaller and more lightly build than big, plump Satin Bowerbirds. Males have a bright yellow bill, while female’s is black-gray. Usually found in rainforest. The male builds a small open bower out of twigs and decorates it with small objects in order to attract a mate. This species is not very vocal and is usually only heard calling near a bower.
Sunda Cuckooshrike
Coracina larvata
Chunky, dark gray bird with a dark face. Dark face patch is more extensive on males than females; males on Sumatra have entirely black heads. Inhabits moist foothill and montane forest. Moves through the upper levels of forest, often with other species in mixed flocks. Gives various high squeaky calls, including an inflected “weee-tee!”.
African Crake
Crecopsis egregia
Chunky, mid-sized rail. Note the black-and-brown scalloped back, gray head and chest, barred belly, reddish bill and yellowish legs. Found in mostly seasonal wetlands, such as flooded grassland. Most often seen trailing its long legs when it flushes from grass before quickly settling back down. Two common vocalizations are a series of dry “krrr” notes and a series of deeper “du-da” notes. Similar color pattern to African Rail, but African Crake has a shorter bill and a spotted back.
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