Bornean Black Magpie
Platysmurus aterrimus
Glossy black bird with a long tail, a heavy hooked bill, and a weak tuft of a crest. Inhabits lowland and foothill forests. Moves in pairs and flocks, calling to keep in contact. Sometimes moves with mixed-species flocks. Vocalizations are quite variable, and include a fast series of short rasping notes, as well as various strange whistled notes, often with a musical-instrument-like quality. Formerly grouped with Malayan Black Magpie under the more generic “Black Magpie.”
Identification
The magpie is about 43 cm in length. It has all-black plumage with a long, broad and graduated tail, a stout black bill, a tall, bristly crest, black legs and feet, and red irises. It has a taller crest than, and lacks the white wing patch of, the nominate subspecies.
Taxonomy
The Bornean black magpie was formerly considered a distinctive subspecies of the black magpie, but more recent revisions now consider it a full species, Platysmurus aterrimus.
- Scientific name
- Platysmurus aterrimus
- Authority
- (Lesson, RP, 1831)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Corvidae
- Genus
- Platysmurus
Range and habitat
The magpie is found in the lowlands of Borneo, ranging in altitude up to about 300 m above sea level. It inhabits primary forest, including dipterocarp, kerangas and peat swamp forest, and is also found in secondary forest, overgrown tree plantations and scrub.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Strix virgata
A common, fairly large owl of tropical lowlands and foothills. Found in forests, woodlands, plantations, gardens, and towns. Roosts during the day at all levels in dense cover of taller trees, but at night it often hunts from low perches such as fence posts and road signs. Note the rounded head, brown eyes framed with whitish crescents on either side of the bill, and overall brown plumage that is streaked below. Varied gruff hoots can suggest a dog barking.
White-throated Honeyeater
Melithreptus albogularis
Small honeyeater with black cap. Underparts white, upperparts light olive. Has white throat with white band behind the eye. Very similar in appearance to Black-chinned and White-naped Honeyeaters but can easily be distinguished by presence of white skin around the eye. Juveniles are more brownish and have yellow bills. Typically found in pairs or small groups. Inhabits a variety of forest types; tends to favor areas near creeks or rivers.
Taliabu Masked-Owl
Tyto nigrobrunnea
A distinctive barn-owl species confined to Taliabu in the Moluccas. Shows a characteristic heart-shaped pale face bordered with a broad black line. Underparts are dingy buff with scattered spotting. Upperparts, top of head, and nape are largely uniform dark brown with indistinct pale spots. Thinly distributed in a variety of habitats including forest, forest edge, bamboo thickets, and open areas across a broad elevational range. Unmistakable: the only barn-owl species on Taliabu. Call is a coarse, shrill high-pitched shriek: “sheeeer.”
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