Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin

A tiny bird of foothill forest mid-storey and canopy. White underparts, rufous back with two dotted white wing bars, a black cap with white cheek stripe and pale blue flecked crown. Males have a white throat whereas females have a buff throat. Moves in mixed flocks and doesn’t cock its tail like other fairywrens. Similar to female Emperor Fairywren but Wallace’s is white to the chin and has wing bars. Song, a series of high-pitched notes beginning with a longer one “siiiii! sisisisisisisisi!”.

A rather long-tailed and long-winged bird with a short stubby head, similar in proportions to a small cuckooshrike. Rather plain light-brown above and pale white below, faintly barred with brown. Bill distinctively bright orange, with a white beady eye. Found above 200 meters of elevation in primary and secondary forest. Voice includes a thin, weak descending trill, or five clear “twee-twee-twee-twee-twee” notes.

This creamy, partridge-like beauty is the only tragopan in its range and the world’s only pale-bellied tragopan. A thickset bird, usually encountered foraging in pairs in mid-altitude hill forest. Male is pale below and intricately spotted above, with pale polka dots on a black-and-chestnut background; has a similarly black-and-chestnut head with bright orange facial skin. Female is dark gray-brown with a slightly paler face and belly; wings and belly streaked paler. During courtship, male drums wings loudly and gives a bizarre, scarily infant-like waaah! followed by loud grunting notes.