Javan Heleia
Heleia javanica
Small warbler-like bird with a gray head, yellowish-green body, and varying amounts of white around the eye; lacks the well-defined white “spectacles” of typical white-eyes. Birds in the montane regions of far western and far eastern Java have a dark patch between the eye and the base of the bill, and minimal white on the face (a full thin eyering in eastern birds, and a white crescent under the eye in western birds), while birds in central Java have a large but poorly-defined white patch around the eye. Forages actively in wooded and forested areas from foothills to mountaintops, often in pairs or groups. Joins mixed-species flocks. Song is a bright series of whistled notes; calls include rattling, high-pitched “tchrr”s and sharply falling whistles.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Heleia javanica
- Authority
- (Horsfield, 1821)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Zosteropidae
- Genus
- Heleia
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Straight-billed Reedhaunter
Limnoctites rectirostris
Note the long straight bill. Brownish above, paler below, with a well-marked eyebrow, and rufous wings contrasting with an olive-brown back. Closely associated with fresh water, occurring in marshes with shrubs and trees. The song starts with sharp clear notes, followed by a high-pitched trill.
Vermilion Cardinal
Cardinalis phoeniceus
A garish scarlet bird sporting a dramatic spiky crest and a hefty gray bill. Male overall brilliant red with black chin; female brown, gray-headed, with red crest and tail. Often found in pairs, perched in erect posture on the top of bushes or on exposed branches. Common in desert scrub and dry forests in the lowlands. Voice a melodious and slow whistled series. Unmistakable in arid regions of northern Venezuela and extreme northeastern Colombia.
Yellow-knobbed Curassow
Crax daubentoni
A large, elegant black and white turkey-like bird with a prominent curly crest. Both sexes have a white belly and white tipped tail, but the male has a larger crest and yellow base to the bill with a large yellow knob; female is faintly barred white on the breast and has dark gray bill lacking the knob. No overlap with other curassow species. Found in dry forest, gallery forest, and humid forest; most often encountered walking in understory or crossing trails in small groups, but sometimes also seen perched higher in trees. Vocally active in breeding season; song is a surprisingly high-pitched, long, descending whistle “WHEEEeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuuuu,” reminiscent of a raptor.
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