Great Shortwing
Heinrichia calligyna
A shy, long-legged terrestrial flycatcher-like bird restricted to the mountains of Sulawesi. Male is largely dark blue with a blacker face. Female shows a diagnostic white smudge between the eye and bill, but forms differ in underparts coloration: in southeast females show a rufous throat and breast, central females have rufous limited to the throat, and northern ones have a rusty throat and breast. Juveniles are brownish-blue with pale throat streaking. Inhabits montane forest understory, on or close to the ground, often near rocky streamsides. Song is a lazy, thrush-like, melancholy warble comprising several quavering notes.
Identification
The great shortwing is a stocky bird with short rounded wings, growing to a length of about 17.5 cm (7 in). In general size and shape it resembles a European robin (Erithacus rubecula). The male is almost entirely very dark blue apart from a small patch of white at either side of the base of the tail. The female is a similar blue colour but has a white spot in front of the eye and a reddish-brown rump. It has a reddish-brown sheen to the throat and upper breast, and greyish-blue underparts. Both sexes have red irises, black beaks and greyish legs.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Heinrichia calligyna
- Authority
- Stresemann, 1931
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Heinrichia
Range and habitat
The great shortwing is endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia where it occurs at altitudes between 1,500 and 3,500 m (4,900 and 11,500 ft). Three subspecies are recognised. H. c. simplex from northern Sulawesi, H. c. calligyna from south-central Sulawesi, and H. c. picta from southeastern Sulawesi.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The great shortwing is a shy and secretive bird which lurks in dense foliage, tangled thickets, vines, deep gullies and streamside vegetation. It can sometimes be heard singing in the early morning from dense cover, often with two birds singing in duet. The song is a high-pitched, wavering series of whistles that increase in pitch and volume, the phrase being repeated, over and over again, for up to a minute. The bird feeds on the ground, foraging through the leaf litter, mosses and lichens, presumably feeding on insects, grubs and other small invertebrates. The nesting habits are unknown, but a juvenile was observed in Lore Lindu National Park in September 2016.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Pale-eyed Bulbul
Pycnonotus davisoni
Distinctive bulbul endemic to the Irrawaddy River delta in southern Myanmar. Note namesake white irises, as well as the yellow facial stripes. Gray-brown body contrasts with olive wings and bright yellow vent. Inhabits lowland evergreen broadleaf and swamp forests in its restricted range. Formerly treated as the same species as Stripe-faced Bulbul (under “Stripe-throated Bulbul”), with which it overlaps in far southeastern Myanmar; note present species’ pale eyes and darker body. Song is throaty and melodious.
Chestnut-backed Antshrike
Thamnophilus palliatus
Medium-sized heavily barred antshrike with a pale iris, and a long tail. Cinnamon on the back and tail with black-and-white bars on the face and underparts. Males have a black cap with a small crest, which is cinnamon-colored in females. The song is loud, usually given as a duet that accelerates towards the end. Found in dense scrub habitats, forest edges, bamboo-dominated forests, and small forest fragments including urban parks.
Black Scimitarbill
Rhinopomastus aterrimus
This all-black bird has a long, slim bill, and a fairly long tail. In flight, white bars across the wings are revealed. Birds in the eastern part of the range also have white in the outer tail, while the western birds have all-black tails. Found in a variety of savanna habitats. The call is a series of fluted, rising “wheet” notes; similar to Common Scimitarbill, but higher-pitched. Also similar in appearance to Common Scimitarbill, but there is little overlap in range, and Black is separated by its straighter bill and slightly shorter and less pointed tail. Separated from woodhoopoes by its shorter, less floppy, and squarer tail.
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