Philippine Pied-Fantail
Rhipidura nigritorquis
A medium-sized, long-tailed bird of wooded and fairly open areas in the lowlands. Sooty-gray above and white below, with a black chest band and black face. Note the white throat and brow. Often cocks and twitches its white-tipped tail from side to side. Similar in size and color to Philippine Magpie-Robin, but lacks the white mark in the wing. Song consists of varied, rather tuneless and scratchy complex whistled phrases.
Identification
This bird is of moderate size and has a long tail. It is commonly found in wooded areas and open spaces in lowland regions. Its upper body is a sooty gray color, while its underbody is white. It features a black band on its chest and a black face, with a distinct white throat and brow. It frequently moves its tail from side to side, displaying its white tips. The bird's song is composed of diverse, somewhat unmusical, and scratchy whistled phrases.
Taxonomy
Other names by which this bird is referred to are Maria Capra (Philippines), and tarerekoy (Visayas, Philippines).
- Scientific name
- Rhipidura nigritorquis
- Authority
- Vigors, 1831
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Rhipiduridae
- Genus
- Rhipidura
Range and habitat
The Philippine pied fantail is endemic throughout the Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Brown-throated Wattle-eye
Platysteira cyanea
Small black-and-white bird with a bright red patch of bare skin above the eye. Males have a black breast band, and females a brown throat. Found in thick woodland, gallery forest, and mangroves. The song is usually given as a duet: a descending series of melancholy whistles from the male, and lower rasping notes from the female. Similar to Black-throated Wattle-eye, but shows a white slash on the wing, and the female has a brown rather than white throat. Separated from batises by the red wattle and, in females, by the brown throat.
Least Seedsnipe
Thinocorus rumicivorus
Very small but stocky, quail-like bird of Patagonian steppe, sandy and stony plains in the Andes, coastal dunes, and deserts. Found in pairs or small groups; locally large flocks in nonbreeding season. Male has hooting song given from low mounds or fence posts, and sometimes during display flight. Flight is strong and fast; flushes with loud bleating chatters. Similar Gray-breasted Seedsnipe is larger, favors rockier Andean habitats, and has plain gray breast without diagnostic black Y pattern present on male Least Seedsnipes.
Blue-fronted Fig-Parrot
Nannopsittacus gulielmitertii
A small, short-tailed parrot of lowland forest, forest edge, and lush gardens. Mostly found at low elevations, and sometimes up into the hills. Green body with dark blue in the wing, black forecrown and cheek, and a pale line separating the cheek, crown and bill. Males have an orange breast, while females have orange behind the dark cheek patch. Usually found in small groups. Most similar to Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, but Blue-fronted has blackish instead of red forecrown and cheek, and an orange breast. Calls, a sharp, high-pitched “tsik!” or excited twittering which often betrays their present in a tree.
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