White-throated Babbler

Tiny nomadic honeyeater with thin decurved bill, found across arid inland Australia. Male has completely black upperparts and black hood that extends down the center of the breast to a rough point. Female gray-brown above, with mottled dark marks on pale brown underparts. Often attracted to areas of flowering Eremophila bushes. Call a long, high-pitched whistle, repeated slowly.

Majestic and stately inhabitant of mature lowland and foothill forests. Pitch black with a white tail marked by a single dark bar. Enormous bill is bright orange with a prominent casque that is short and rectangular in females, long and upswept in males. Often seen in powerful flight over forests, typically in pairs or small groups. Gives low, resonant calls, usually in series: either a single-syllabled “rohh” or a disyllabic “roh-ow.”

The only leafbird within its range with an orange belly. Male is unmistakable with a blue-and-black face pattern, a solid orange belly, and green-and-blue wings. Female is green all over with blue cheeks and less extensive orange on the belly. The female can be confused with female Blue-winged Leafbird, but Orange-bellied has an orange belly and more blue on the face than Blue-winged Leafbird. Often moves about quietly in the upper layers of hilly and montane forests, gleaning insects from branches and foraging at fruiting and flowering trees. Frequently incorporates the songs and calls of other species into its vocalizations.