Puvel's Illadopsis
Illadopsis puveli
A mid-sized, chunky, drably colored babbler. Has a white throat and pale gray underparts that are usually washed with buff. Found in the understory of gallery forest and thick bush, usually in pairs. Shy and skulking, and rarely seen unless searched for. Similar to other illadopsises, and best located and distinguished by voice. Visually most similar to Rufous-winged Illadopsis, but found in different habitat, slightly larger, and usually buffy on the underparts. Paler below than Brown or Pale-breasted Illadopsises. Most often detected by distinctive voice: a series of several whistles in an up then down pattern that is weirdly reminiscent of trying to start a car, similar to the song of Rufous-winged Illadopsis, but higher-pitched and slightly more rambling and variable, with more notes in each phrase
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Illadopsis puveli
- Authority
- (Salvadori, 1901)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pellorneidae
- Genus
- Illadopsis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Striped Kingfisher
Halcyon chelicuti
A small and dainty woodland-dwelling kingfisher with powder-blue tail and flight feathers, creamy collar, dark eye-stripe, and streaky brown crown. Singles and pairs are inconspicuous in the mid-canopy of parkland-like savanna and woodland, preferring more arid thornveld than other dryland kingfishers. It draws attention to itself with a loud, ringing “teeep-tiiii-rrrrrrr” and rollicking “trrreerrr-treeerr-treeer” calls.
Gray-hooded Parrotbill
Suthora zappeyi
Gray head, white eyering, and frequently raised bushy crest set this parrotbill apart from others in its range. Inhabits isolated mountaintop forests, where it forages in small flocks in dense stands of bamboo. Gives low, insect-like trills. Highly restricted in range; found reliably on less than a dozen mountaintops, and unrecorded from valleys and lowlands in between.
St. Lucia Oriole
Icterus laudabilis
A sleek inhabitant of woodlands, especially those with palms. The male is black with an orange belly, shoulders, and rump. The female looks similar, but is duller in color while the immature is a dull yellow-green overall. No similar species occur within its range. Song is a rapid jumble of whistles and squeaks. Call is a scratchy “zzzhe.”
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