Blue-capped Rock-Thrush
Monticola cinclorhyncha
Brightly-colored male is unmistakable with his black mask, sky-blue head, and orange rump and underparts. Female is gray-brown with scaled underparts and faint white eye crescents; similar to larger female Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush, but lacks prominent white “ear crescents”, has less densely-patterned underparts, and averages paler overall. Breeds in hilly and montane areas, particularly open dry forests and rocky slopes with scattered trees. Descends in the winter; favors secondary forests and plantations. Forages in trees and on the ground; often searches for prey from snags or telephone wires. Moves with mixed-species flocks in the winter.
Identification
The male has a blue head, chin and throat. The upper parts are blue and black. The rump and underparts are chestnut brown. There is a white patch on the wing that is visible during flight. The female bird is brown with a brown and white underside.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Monticola cinclorhyncha
- Authority
- (Vigors, 1831)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Monticola
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinella
Male distinctive, with bright yellow head, yellowish underparts. Female is drab and streaky, usually with yellowish wash to face, and often found with bright males. Note bright rusty rump. White outer tail feathers flash in flight. A species of heathland, forest clearings, and farmland with hedges. Male sings from a prominent perch, giving a dry and uninspired “dzidzidzidzidzi.” Forms flocks in winter, feeding mainly on ground in search of seeds. A native of Eurasia, introduced to New Zealand and a few adjacent islands.
Rose-breasted Chat
Granatellus pelzelni
Small and distinctive warbler-like bird, often difficult to see well. The male has a black head with contrasting white eyebrows and throat, gray upperparts, and striking pinkish-red underparts. The female has a buffy face, chest, and undertail coverts, whitish belly, and gray upperparts. Prefers canopy vine tangles and river edges, where it may occur lower; creeps through vegetation, alone or with mixed-species flocks, feeding on insects. Generally uncommon and inconspicuous. Plumage is unlike any other species in range. Song is a series of soft, rising whistles.
Stuhlmann's Sunbird
Cinnyris stuhlmanni
Large and long-billed sunbird in which males are colorful, green and red, and females drab brownish. Males have yellow shoulder tufts that are usually hidden. Found in high-elevation heath, Afroalpine habitats, and forest edge along the Albertine Rift. Often feeds on low flowers. The call is a harsh “jyet” and the song a quick jumble of high-pitched notes. Very similar to Northern Double-collared Sunbird, but larger overall, with a longer tail and bill and a broader red band across the underparts.
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