Fawn-breasted Thrush
Zoothera machiki
A boldly patterned terrestrial brown thrush. Upperparts brown with a particularly rich rufous back and tail, striking white spots on the wings, a fawn-colored throat and chest, and a boldly scaled whitish belly. Inhabits both forest and scrub, where typically observed foraging on the ground alone. Confined to the Tanimbar Islands. Readily identified, as it is the only brown thrush in the islands. Song comprises a sequence of piping and whistled notes. Call is a short “tsit.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Zoothera machiki
- Authority
- (Forbes, HO, 1884)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Turdidae
- Genus
- Zoothera
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Mountain Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus sindianus
Very similar to Common Chiffchaff, but distinctly darker brown, and lacks any green or yellow tones including uppertail coverts and fringes to wing feathers. Note the brownish wash to underparts, especially the flanks, the rather contrasting whitish throat, and white eyebrow. Bill and legs distinctly black. Short primary projection. Breeds in forested mountains, valleys, and foothills, including low-stature mixed forest; winters in lower elevation scrub, including acacia and tamarisks. Call similar to Siberian Chiffchaff: a high-pitched, slightly downslurred "Piiu." Song similar to Common Chiffchaff but faster and less “organized.”
Black Laughingthrush
Melanocichla lugubris
The otherwise solidly dark plumage of this laughingthrush is punctuated by a patch of bare bluish-gray skin behind the eye and a bright orange-red bill. Favors the lower levels of foothill and submontane broadleaved forests; often in pairs or small flocks, sometimes mixed in with other species. Gives loud high-pitched bubbling clucks, often in prolonged series.
Gray Wren-Warbler
Calamonastes simplex
A very dark, long-tailed warbler of dry country. Blackish-gray overall with a reddish eye and white tips to the tail. With a good look, barring on the throat, belly, and vent may be visible. The tail is frequently cocked up. Generally common in dry thorn savanna and thornscrub. Usually stays in the understory, but will sing from the tops of bushes and small trees. Similar in shape to Miombo Wren-Warbler, but much darker, with virtually no overlap in range. The main vocalization is a loud “chup,” repeated about once per second.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.