North Island Saddleback
Philesturnus rufusater
A medium-sized songbird endemic to New Zealand, confined to predator-free offshore islands and North Island mainland sanctuaries. Glossy black plumage with distinct chestnut saddle across the back, which gives the bird its name. Note the bright reddish-orange wattles on either side of the bill. Juveniles lack the shine in plumage and show dusty brown tips to the black body feathers and smaller wattles. The species is often heard before it is seen, with loud vocalizations resembling a blaring “cheet te-te-te-te.” Constantly moves noisily as it restlessly forages on the floor and through the canopy. Flicks over leaves and digs into rotting logs with its strong bill in search of invertebrates. Distinguished from Eurasian Blackbird by chestnut saddle and wattles.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Philesturnus rufusater
- Authority
- (Lesson, RP, 1828)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Callaeidae
- Genus
- Philesturnus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Riverside Tyrant
Knipolegus orenocensis
Slightly crested flycatcher. Males have uniform black plumage. Females are pale below with dusky streaks on the breast; above, they can be duller than males or have olive-gray backs. Found in open areas with scattered trees along rivers and on seasonally flooded river islands. The similar female of Amazonian Black-Tyrant has a rusty rump.
Banded Barbet
Lybius undatus
A medium-sized barbet with a black back, a barred belly, and a red patch above the bill. There is considerable geographical variation; the throat varies from speckled to solidly black, and the head can be black with a thin white eyebrow, or black-and-white. Found at middle elevations in montane woodland in the Abyssinian highlands. Not very vocal, but does give quiet rasping calls. Has a red patch above the bill like Red-fronted Barbet, but easily separated by the barred belly.
Purple Indigobird
Vidua purpurascens
Nest parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of Jameson’s Firefinch. Breeding males are glossy purplish-black, with a pale brownish panel in the wings, while females and non-breeding males are streaky and brown on the back and pale below, with a bold facial pattern. The bill is whitish and the legs very pale pink. Found in forest edge, cultivation, thick woodland, and scrub. Mimics the vocalizations of its host firefinches: a fast trill. Extremely similar to Variable Indigobird. In South Africa, separated by its pale pinkish legs. Elsewhere, breeding males probably slightly more glossy but only separated with certainty by hearing mimicked vocalizations of host species.
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