Russet-tailed Thrush

Zoothera heinei

Large thrush, adult rich brown marbled with dark marks above, pale with black scaly marks below. Larger Bassian Thrush has smaller-appearing bill, is more contrastingly marked above. In flight, Russet-tailed shows white in tail corners, absent in Bassian. The smaller wingbar has more prominent pale tips in adult Russet-tailed than Bassian. Inhabits wet forests, where it forages in leaf litter. Song a distinctive, thin “whee-doo,” falling in pitch, very unlike Bassian.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Zoothera heinei
Authority
(Cabanis, 1851)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Turdidae
Genus
Zoothera

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Western Spinebill

Western Spinebill

Acanthorhynchus superciliosus

Small, slender bird with thin curved bill, found in wetter forested areas, parks, and gardens of southwestern Western Australia. Adult has distinctive complex head and throat pattern, with a thin dark chest band. Young bird plain buff-colored below, brown above. Note white corners in tail, sometimes obvious in flight. An active and fast forager, darting around quickly between flowering trees. Call is a loud, repeated piping.

Tanimbar Oriole

Tanimbar Oriole

Oriolus decipiens

A dull brown oriole with a lighter head and a dark feathered face patch. Singles and pairs inhabit middle to upper levels of forest, woodlands, mangroves, and cultivated areas in lowlands and foothills. Confined to the Tanimbar Islands. Considerably smaller than Tanimbar Friarbird, with a more rounded head shape, a straighter bill with a slightly thicker tip, and no naked facial skin. Ringing call composed of flutey phrases, “we-we-weOW” and “churWOOW,” with first chur notes being rasping.

Delicate Prinia

Delicate Prinia

Prinia lepida

Tiny, disproportionately long-tailed, active, and vocal. The upperparts are gray-brown with heavy dark streaking, the underparts are pale, and each tail feather shows both pale and dark tips. Generally found in rather moist habitats within arid zones, including field margins, riparian woodland, scrub, gardens, and wetlands; can be quite numerous. Very vocal, especially in spring. The song is a rattling series of dry chirps, subtly different from the slower-paced song of Graceful Prinia. Males often sing from obvious perches. Visually extremely similar to Graceful Prinia, but there is little overlap in range. In any areas of overlap, best separated by song, but Delicate is also slightly longer- and narrower-tailed and browner.

Start Your Bird Watching Journey

Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.