Sulawesi Fantail
Rhipidura teysmanni
An active rufous-colored songbird with a long tail that is regularly cocked and fanned. Has a brown upperside, a rufous-washed wing, and a largely rufous tail with a bold darker terminal band. Head is brown with a conspicuous white throat and a rich rufous brow. Note the black chest patch and pale belly. Singles and pairs can be found at middle to upper levels of montane forest, often in mixed-species flocks. Confined to Sulawesi. Unmistakable: the only fantail on Sulawesi. Song is a sequence of high-pitched, rapidly descending notes, “WIT--wit-dee-dee-de-doo-doo.” Calls include a sharp, shrill “tzip” and “tchew.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Rhipidura teysmanni
- Authority
- Büttikofer, 1892
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Rhipiduridae
- Genus
- Rhipidura
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
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Grus monacha
A small, somber-colored crane of expansive agricultural fields and wetlands. Rare outside of its main wintering grounds in southern Japan, western Korea, and eastern China, where it gathers in small family units as well as massive flocks. Adults have dark gray bodies, a white head and neck, and a dark red forehead. Juveniles are similar but have a brown-tinged head and neck and a dark smudge on the forehead instead of a red patch.
Buff-shouldered Widowbird
Euplectes psammacromius
Breeding males are mostly black with a long tail. There is a large yellow-and-buff patch on the shoulder. Females and non-breeding males are streaky and brown, though males retain their colorful shoulder. Found locally in montane marsh, heath, and grassland. Vocalizations include low rasps and twittering and sizzling calls. Male separated from Marsh Widowbird by its more extensive buff shoulder patch. Female can be confused with several other species, but is usually identified by association with buff-shouldered males.
Rusty-headed Spinetail
Synallaxis fuscorufa
Skulking cloud forest bird endemic to Colombia’s Santa Marta Mountains. Adult has a rusty hood, wings, and tail that contrast with its gray back and belly. Young birds are duller and may show faint barring on the belly. Separated from other similar species in range by its entirely chestnut head and lack of eyebrows and streaking. Shy and often hard to see, usually staying hidden inside foliage at low to middle levels. Frequently sings a strident “pit-pit-pit-chew”; the number of notes is variable.
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