Black-headed Cuckooshrike
Lalage melanoptera
Male has dark slaty-gray head, neck, and upper breast; rest of the body is pale gray, with white on the belly. Wings darker than mantle. Female lacks the black hood, and has a whitish supercilium, brownish-gray upperparts with lightly barred back and rump, and buff-white underparts with wide brown bars. Juvenile is similar to female, but upperparts barred white. Immature similar to female. Song is a series of clear, loud whistles: “pee-pe-pe-pe-pe-twe-twee.” Some notes can be omitted, or additional notes added.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Lalage melanoptera
- Authority
- (Rüppell, 1839)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Campephagidae
- Genus
- Lalage
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Luzon Striped-Babbler
Zosterornis striatus
A fairly small bird of lowland and foothill forest and overgrown disturbed areas on Luzon. Rufous-brown on the wings, back, and tail, with a gray head, heavily-streaked pale underparts, and a black face and moustache stripe. Often found in mixed-species flocks. Somewhat similar to Stripe-sided and Long-billed Rhabdornises, but smaller, with a white eye-ring rather than a black band through the eye. Voice includes a loud rattling trill and various quiet chips and squeals.
Spot-breasted Woodpecker
Colaptes punctigula
Attractive medium-sized woodpecker, golden-olive overall with bold black spotting on body and wings. Striking face pattern with red nape, black forecrown, white cheek, and checkered throat. Males also show red mustache; sexes otherwise similar. Widespread but usually uncommon; found in a variety of open forested habitats and edges, including scrubby second growth and gardens. Most frequently heard call is a series of peeping notes, “pi-pi-pi-pi-pi-pi-pi-pi.”
White-throated Caracara
Daptrius albogularis
Uncommon in southern Andes; range does not overlap with Mountain Caracara. Favors open habitats above treeline, but also ranges lower to scavenge at dumps and in farmland with open trees. Often associates with Chimango and Crested Caracaras at the dump outside Ushuaia, Argentina. Sails, soars, and tumbles easily on updrafts. Adult is handsome and strikingly patterned black-and-white with creamy white underparts and a bold white tail tip. Juvenile is rather similar to smaller Chimango Caracara, but distinguished by black (not pale) bill.
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