Timor Oriole
Oriolus melanotis
Male is a distinctive oriole with a green head, dark mask, and orange-red bill. Duller female is brown above and paler below, with a dark mask and black bill. Juveniles are heavily streaked. Singles and pairs can be found in lowland forest patches, woodlands, mangroves, and cultivated areas. Females resemble Helmeted Friarbird, but lacks that species’ casque, naked facial skin, and a prominent nostril on the blunter-tipped bill. Gives a “k’WOW” and descending “k’we-hoo.”
Identification
The Timor oriole (Oriolus melanotis) is a species of bird in the family Oriolidae. It is endemic to the Lesser Sunda Islands, where it is found on Timor, Rote and Semau. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.
Taxonomy
The Wetar oriole (O. finschi), found on Wetar and Atauro Islands, was originally described as a separate species but was later reclassified as a subspecies. However, more recent revisions to the IOC World Bird List have found it to be a distinct species. The two species were formerly grouped together as olive-brown oriole.
- Scientific name
- Oriolus melanotis
- Authority
- (Bonaparte, 1850)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Oriolidae
- Genus
- Oriolus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Spot-winged Grosbeak
Mycerobas melanozanthos
A large, heavy-billed finch. Male is black above and yellow below with white streaks and spots on the wings. Female is patchy black above and yellow below with heavy black streaking all over the underparts. Male closely resembles White-winged Grosbeak, but Spot-winged has a yellow (not black) chest, and smaller and more numerous spots on the wings. Inhabits submontane areas, particularly in mixed forests. Often seen in pairs or small flocks, but may gather in large flocks near fruiting trees. Call is a mellow descending note.
Sooty Babbler
Stachyris herberti
Small dark babbler with a ring of pale exposed skin around the eye. Contrastingly pale bill stands out in the gloom of the undergrowth. Found in limestone forests, often near cliffs, gullies, and ravines. Climbs on vegetation and limestone karst in search of prey, often in both single-species and mixed-species flocks. Calls softly when foraging, but fairly quiet compared to other babblers.
Black-headed Tanager
Stilpnia cyanoptera
Small bird of foothill forests. Males have a pale buffy body with black head, wings, and tail; females are much more drab, with a grayish-green head, pale bluish-green back, and yellowish underparts. In good light, both sexes show blue in flight feathers. Found in foothill forests and edge habitats, dry valleys, and in humid forest around the bases of the tepuis. Usually observed at fruiting trees, often in pairs or small family groups, from lower levels into canopy. Calls are indistinct chips and twitters. Plumage pattern of male is distinctive; females are more confusing but are seldom seen without males, facilitating identification; note contrasting gray head and (at close range) blue in wings.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.