Red-tailed Vanga
Calicalicus madagascariensis
Small vanga that is built like a chickadee or tit. Male is colorful and female plain brownish. Madagascar endemic that is found in all forest types, though absent from much of the southwestern spiny forest. Very active and vocal bird that often leads forest flocks. Most common vocalization is a wolf whistle. Separated from Red-shouldered Vanga by its dark eye and less red on the wing. Female very similar to the rare and localized Red-tailed Newtonia, but identified by its larger size, much larger bill, and buffy ring around the eye.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Calicalicus madagascariensis
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Vangidae
- Genus
- Calicalicus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Stresemann's Bristlefront
Merulaxis stresemanni
Teetering on the brink of extinction. Fairly large tapaculo with a long tail and a crested forehead. Males are uniform slaty-black and females are dark brown above and rusty below. The song is a descending series that starts slowly and accelerates towards the end. Occurs in a few disparate patches of humid forest and forest edge, where it forages on the ground. The similar Slaty Bristlefront has brown on the rear of the body, and females have darker underparts; the song of Slaty is lower in pitch.
Malayan Banded-Pitta
Hydrornis irena
Broad red-orange eyestripe glows like lava on this shy, jewel-like bird. Male has deep blue underparts with thin tiger-like barring on the sides of the chest. Female is pale below with fine dark barring. Forages quietly on the floor of dense lowland forests. Most common calls are a quiet roar and a short, descending “pr-r-r-r-r”.
Olive-flanked Robin-Chat
Dessonornis anomalus
Dark, compact robin-chat with the least orange of any member of this group. There is considerable geographical variation, but always shows a pale eyebrow and throat, and some rufous on the belly, flanks, rump, and tail. The color of the underparts varies from blackish to white to buff, and the color of the upperparts from black to gray to brown. Some populations show a strongly black-and-orange tail, while others have a tail that is completely rufous. Found in the understory of montane forest. Generally uncommon and skulking. The variable song consists of a mournful, descending series of whistles.
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