Pygmy Flycatcher
Ficedula hodgsoni
Diminutive blue flycatcher. Male is dark blue with a paler forehead and orange underparts. Female is brown above and pale buffy-orange below, with a rufous-tinted rump and tail. Forages at all levels of forest, but most readily seen when moving with mixed flocks in the lower and middle levels. Flicks tail and wings. Found in hilly and montane forest from foothills up to subalpine areas. Song is a brief, high, thin tinkling series of phrases.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Ficedula hodgsoni
- Authority
- (Moore, F, 1854)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Ficedula
Range and habitat
It is found in Bhutan, China, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
White-cheeked Starling
Spodiopsar cineraceus
This rather grimy-looking species is a familiar presence in many open habitats. Dark gray-brown overall with white cheeks of varying size, usually streaked with dark gray; white sometimes covers most of the head. White rump and underwing coverts obvious when in flight. Constantly gives high-pitched chattering calls when foraging in flocks.
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocoptes medius
Medium-large black-and-white woodpecker. Marginally smaller than Great Spotted Woodpecker, but rounded head and shortish beak exaggerate this size difference. Both sexes are similar, with a red crown (brighter in the male) and an incomplete cheek bar. It has a rattle call: "kíg-gag-gag-gag-gag" and gives a nasal long-drawn series of “gwaaag” calls. Rarely drums. Closely tied to old deciduous forests, often in areas with an abundance of oak or beech.
Swainson's Warbler
Limnothlypis swainsonii
Shy and difficult to see in deciduous forest with dense understory, often near water. Plain buffy-brown coloration with rufous crown and dark eyeline. Also note disproportionately large, sharp, pinkish bill and pink legs. Shimmies tail side-to-side as it slowly forages on the forest floor, investigating fallen leaf litter for insects. Fairly restricted breeding range in the southeastern U.S.; winters primarily on the Yucatan peninsula and in the Caribbean. Listen for loud, sweet song, similar to Louisiana Waterthrush but without the complex ending.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.