Kauai Elepaio
Chasiempis sclateri
A small flycatcher of forested habitats on Kauai. Adults have a gray back and white wingbars, while immatures are reddish brown with buffy wingbars. Common in native forest at higher elevations. Bold and curious; not afraid of people and may follow hikers. Often holds tail cocked up at an angle. Male song consists of two notes that rise and fall and have a squeaky, rubber ducky quality. Both sexes give a variety of soft calls and scolding notes. Responds to pishing and squeaking.
Identification
This is the most distinct ʻelepaio; adult birds have their head and back gray, with a white supercilium, a rusty-red breast and a white underside. Young birds are uniformly rusty above and white below. Wings and tail are alike in all subspecies, but the young individuals of sclateri have the white stippling of the wings replaced by rusty coloration too.
Taxonomy
The Kauaʻi ʻelepaio was formerly considered as a subspecies of the Hawaii ʻelepaio (Chasiempis sandwichensis sclateri) until reclassified as a separate species in 2010.
- Scientific name
- Chasiempis sclateri
- Authority
- Ridgway, 1882
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Monarchidae
- Genus
- Chasiempis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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A mid-sized laughingthrush, usually seen foraging on the ground and in shrubbery of hilly forest. Brown overall, with rusty highlights on the neck and flanks, and with prominent black markings on the white breast and face. Looks similar to the slightly larger Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush, with which it often associates in mixed flocks; Lesser differs in being duller rusty overall, having a complete (rather than partial) breast band, and having minimal streaking on the cheeks. Classic laughingthrush repertoire, with a beautiful fluty, meldic song and hooting calls.
Eastern Bluebird
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Blue-tailed Trogon
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Colorful trogon of lowland and foothill rainforest in western Ecuador and western Colombia. Both sexes have conspicuous white eyes, unmarked black tail, red belly, and mostly yellow bill. Male is green with a black face. Female is gray with a dark top to her yellow bill. Differs from Slaty-tailed Trogon by yellow (not orange) bill. Also similar to Ecuadorian Trogon, but lacks white on breast. Perches high in the trees for long periods, occasionally sallying out to take fruits or insects. Often first detected by song, a lazy series of 20 or more mellow whistles.
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