Brown-breasted Barbet
Pogonornis melanopterus
Large and unusually colored barbet, with a mostly red head, a broad brown band across the underparts, a black back, and a white belly and rump patch. Also note the chunky pale bill. Found locally in moist woodland, gardens, and along forest edge. Often in pairs. The easily ignored call is a rough, repeated “kyea”. Somewhat similar to Black-billed Barbet, but easily separated by the brown rather than black breast band, and the pale rather than dark bill.
Identification
The brown-breasted barbet (Pogonornis melanopterus) is a species of bird in the family Lybiidae. It is found in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, and Tanzania.
Taxonomy
Genus: Pogonornis; Family: Lybiidae; Order: Piciformes.
- Scientific name
- Pogonornis melanopterus
- Authority
- (Peters, W, 1854)
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Lybiidae
- Genus
- Pogonornis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
White-chinned Thrush
Turdus aurantius
A dark plumaged ground feeder that prefers wooded areas but also occurs in gardens and plantations. Its most distinctive features are its bright orange bill and legs. The namesake white chin is inconspicuous. Also note the white slash, which is usually visible, on the upper wing. Superficially similar to the shier White-eyed Thrush, which has a white eye plus a dark bill and legs. Most common call is a slightly shrill, up-slurred “p’weet,” sometimes given as a longer “p’ooo-weeet.” Song is a series of varied sweet notes given singly or as couplets.
Papuan Eclectus
Eclectus polychloros
Robust, big-headed, and rather short-tailed parrot endemic to Papua and Cape York (Australia) and introduced to Solomon Islands, where it inhabits lowland and foothill forests. Male bright green with red underwings and orange bill, female bright red with violet belly and dark bill. Usually seen flying above forests at first light, squawking loudly. Calls include an ear-shattering, high-pitched squawk, as well as a lower, rasping caw. Formerly grouped with other closely related species under “Eclectus Parrot.”
Papuan Parrotfinch
Erythrura papuana
A rather attractive small finch, mostly pale green with a red tail and a dull bluish-purple face. Found in evergreen forest and forest edge from 1200 to 2600 meters of elevation, rarely lower. Blue-faced Parrotfinch is similar but slightly smaller, with a slighter bill and more vivid coloration. The two do not often, if ever, overlap. Papuan’s common call is a thin, weak high-pitched “tsit tsit.”
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