Lesser Lophorina
Lophorina minor
A fairly large bird of mid-montane forest. Male, mainly black plumage with 2 remarkable erectile fans which are lifted up over the head during its display. Metallic, blue-green, trapezium-shaped breast shield and patches above the eyes. Female has a dark brown back, barred underparts and a black head. Male is unmistakable. Female distinguished from Lawes’s Parotia female by slightly smaller size and black eye, and from female Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise by its black bill. The male’s yellow-green interior of the mouth is visible whilst it gives its piercing nasal screech.
Identification
A fairly large bird of mid-montane forest. Male, mainly black plumage with 2 remarkable erectile fans which are lifted up over the head during its display. Metallic, blue-green, trapezium-shaped breast shield and patches above the eyes. Female has a dark brown back, barred underparts and a black head. Male is unmistakable. Female distinguished from Lawes’s Parotia female by slightly smaller size and black eye, and from female Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise by its black bill. The male’s yellow-green interior of the mouth is visible whilst it gives its piercing nasal screech.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Lophorina minor
- Authority
- Ramsay, EP, 1885
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Paradisaeidae
- Genus
- Lophorina
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
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Shy understory bird of upper humid montane forest in the east slope of the Andes from central-western Argentina to central Bolivia. Prefers thick understory, and more often heard than seen. Often curious and inquisitive, but tends to stay hidden when possible. From similar Streak-fronted Thornbird by reddish cap, spotted underparts, and habitat (Streak-fronted prefers dryer and more open woodland). Song an accelerating then decelerating series of 10-12 “queet!” notes that rise and then fall in pitch.
Chinese Grassbird
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A seldom seen and poorly understood shy, streaky, brown babbler. Stays low and hidden in tall grassy and reedy vegetation within fields and wetlands. Brown above with a pale breast and a long tail. The crown and back are streaked with black, giving it the appearance of an overgrown cisticola, but the distinctive patch of black-and-white streaking on the nape is unlike that of any warbler. Appears singly and in pairs.
Blue-throated Goldentail
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Uncommon and local, rather small hummingbird of humid forest edge, plantations, and woodlands in tropical lowlands and foothills. Perches and feeds mainly at middle to upper levels in shady understory and at edges. Note the bright red bill and greenish-gold tail (which often looks grayish). Male has violet gorget. Female has violet throat spotting, but often these areas look rather dull and grayish unless they catch the light.
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