Chestnut-breasted Whiteface

Aphelocephala pectoralis

Small bird with stubby bill, found in open shrubland in stony country of arid northeastern South Australia. Warm brown above, white below, with broad rusty-brown chest band, reddish-brown marks on the flanks, pale eye, grayish throat, and white mark above bill. Forages on the ground in small flocks. Call is a steady warbling twitter.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Aphelocephala pectoralis
Authority
(Gould, 1871)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Acanthizidae
Genus
Aphelocephala

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Other Birds

Scaly Chatterer

Scaly Chatterer

Argya aylmeri

An unusual slim babbler with a very long tail. Paler than most other babblers in range, gray-brown overall with scaling on the breast, a yellowish bill, and pale blue bare skin around the eye. Found in areas of dense undergrowth within dry thorn savanna and thorn scrub, almost always in small groups. Somewhat similar to other babblers, especially Rufous Chatterer, but much paler and generally found in drier habitat. An inconspicuous and skulking bird that is usually detected by call: quiet, high-pitched “tsit” notes that sound like a dry twig scraping on a windowpane. 

Yellow Longbill

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. 

Makira Thrush

Makira Thrush

Zoothera margaretae

Mostly ground-dwelling, rotund and rusty brown. Intricate scaling on breast becomes fainter but denser on throat. Note the two rows of white spots on the wing. Prefers to walk and hop rather than fly. Found in dense undergrowth of forest, especially gullies, between 400 and 700 meters of elevation, but occasionally lower. Common call is a very high-pitched, thin “tseeeep” that is easily overlooked.

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Chestnut-breasted Whiteface | BirdLens