Fulvous-headed Tanager

Thlypopsis fulviceps

Small tanager with gray body and chestnut head. Underparts paler than upperparts, and belly white. Female similar to male but with paler throat. Very active foraging for insects, often in pairs, small groups, or in mixed-species flocks in the canopy or lower in the forest border. Locally common in humid forests and second growth woodland in foothills. Vocalizations are accelerating sharp kiss-like notes. No similar species in range.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Thlypopsis fulviceps
Authority
Cabanis, 1851
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Thraupidae
Genus
Thlypopsis

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

White-bellied Redstart

White-bellied Redstart

Luscinia phaenicuroides

A dark, medium-sized songbird with a long orange-sided tail, totally unlike any other redstart. Breeds in shrubby montane areas, particularly in the transition zone between forest and more open habitats; winters in similarly dense habitat at lower elevations. Male is predominantly grayish blue, with orange tail edges and a white belly. Female lacks the namesake white underparts and is instead brown overall with darker upperparts. Immature males have a blue head and chest, but are otherwise brown overall. Other redstarts in its range have a noticeably shorter-tailed profile. Song is an alternating series of clear, bell-like whistles and slurred whistles; most common call is a hard “tuktuk,” like stones knocking together.

Common Woodshrike

Common Woodshrike

Tephrodornis pondicerianus

A medium-sized woodshrike with grayish-brown upperparts, black facial mask, white rump, and gray tail with white outer tail feathers. Bill strongly hooked, dark grayish-brown in color. Underparts white. Similar to Malabar Woodshrike and Large Woodshrike, but generally found in drier forests; also note prominent white supercilium. Usually found in dry forested areas and shrublands. Bright, fast-paced song starts out with two strident “wheeet” notes, followed by a descending series of shorter notes. Calls vary, but usually sound like isolated fragments of song.

Banda Myzomela

Banda Myzomela

Myzomela boiei

A small honeyeater with a downcurved bill. Striking male has a candy-apple red hood, back, and rump, contrasting with the black wings, tail, and chest band and the white belly. Female is uniform gray-brown except for a diagnostic faded red wash on the face and throat. Singles or pairs inhabit lowland forests, forest edge, mangroves, and open wooded areas, sometimes joining mixed-species flocks. Unmistakable, as it is the only myzomela in its restricted range in the Banda Islands. Song comprises several introductory notes followed by a rapid warble: “chi-chi-churrrrrrrr.”

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