Orange-breasted Forest Robin
Stiphrornis erythrothorax
A short-tailed understory robin with a bright red-orange throat that appears to glow in the shadows of lowland rainforests. Variable across its range, but all populations have a bright throat, a dark-gray to brown back, a whitish belly, and a bright white spot in front of the eye. Song is often given as a duet, with the male giving high-pitched whistles “tlee-tee, tlee-tee” and the female giving an accompanying chatter. Calls include short, questioning whistles “tuweu?” as well as soft calls and rattles. Given this species’ habitat, it is most likely to be confused with akalats, but can always be distinguished by the white spot in front of the eye. May occur locally alongside similar Olive-backed Forest Robin, but distinguished by the brownish rather than green back, and the whitish rather than yellowish belly.
Identification
The orange-breasted forest robin (Stiphrornis erythrothorax) is a species of bird mainly found throughout the African tropical rainforest. It has a total length of around 12 cm (4+3⁄4 in), has dark upperparts, and a throat and chest that, depending on the subspecies, is yellow-orange or deep orange.
Taxonomy
Genus: Stiphrornis; Family: Muscicapidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Stiphrornis erythrothorax
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Stiphrornis
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Buff-spotted Flameback
Chrysocolaptes lucidus
A large woodpecker of forest with a dense understory from the lowlands to the lower mountains in the southern Philippines. Orange to reddish on the back, and dark below with heavy cream-colored spotting. Neck is spotted with buff. Note the crown sloping to an angular crest, which is bright red in males and orange with spots in the female. Unmistakable. The only other similarly sized woodpecker in range is Southern Sooty-Woodpecker, which is entirely dark. Voice includes a loud, metallic rattling trill.
Brown Babbler
Turdoides plebejus
A dull brownish babbler with brightly colored eyes. Found in moist woodland, dense savanna, scrub, gallery forest, forest edge, cultivated areas, and gardens, almost always in groups that forage actively on the ground. Similar in shape, size, and overall brown coloration to Arrow-marked Babbler, but there is only minor overlap in range, and Brown Babbler can be separated by the paler face and throat and the less pointed white markings on the underparts. Calls include a raspy babbling and a dry clucking, both usually by a whole group in chorus.
White-bellied Hummingbird
Elliotomyia chionogaster
Medium-sized hummingbird of middle and high elevations. Green above, white below, with a pinkish lower mandible. Found around forest edges and scrubby open habitats. Distinguished with care from the very similar Green-and-white Hummingbird by the white extending lower onto the underside of the tail, and by its sometimes lighter pink lower mandible; it is also typically found in more open habitats than that species.
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