Palawan Drongo
Dicrurus palawanensis
A large, stocky drongo endemic to Palawan. Note highly iridescent wings and shiny speckles on the breast and neck, as well as the shallowly forked tail and large, curved bill. Ashy Drongo has a somewhat similar shape, but is paler and more slender overall, lacks prominent iridescence, and has red eyes. Like many other drongos, often selects conspicuous perches in forest and forest edge. Strong, varied song often includes high-pitched whistles and warbles, as well as hoots and grating notes.
Identification
The Palawan drongo (Dicrurus palawanensis) is an Asian bird of the family Dicruridae. It was formerly considered conspecific with the hair-crested drongo. It is endemic to Palawan. It was formerly conspecific with the Hair-crested drongo but was designated as unique based on its different sounding call, physical differences and through molecular studies.
Taxonomy
Genus: Dicrurus; Family: Dicruridae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Dicrurus palawanensis
- Authority
- Tweeddale, 1878
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Dicruridae
- Genus
- Dicrurus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Rufous-sided Honeyeater
Ptiloprora erythropleura
A medium-sized honeyeater of montane forest in western New Guinea. Dark gray-brown back and wings with pale rufous edges to the flight feathers, gray face and chest with deep rufous flanks. Faint streaking overall, strongest on the head. Similar to Gray-streaked but Rufous-sided is smaller with less distinct streaking and red rather than gray eyes. Call, a mournful, whistled up-and-down “wiiiiuuuu” or down-up-down “piiuuweew”.
Varied Sittella
Daphoenositta chrysoptera
Tiny, short-tailed bird with a thin, slightly upturned bill. Yellow eyering in all plumages, but different subspecies vary tremendously in plumage, ranging from black-headed to white-headed, streaked and unstreaked; in flight all, show prominent pale wingstripe. Inhabits woodlands, where usually seen in small flocks that methodically clamber along tree trunks, probing for insects in bark. Birds give frequent “chip-chip” call as they forage.
Striped Woodpecker
Veniliornis lignarius
The only small woodpecker in its range. Fairly common but easily overlooked in a variety of wooded and forested habitats, parks, farmland, and matorral with taller hedges and trees. Usually found as ones and twos, foraging on smaller branches from low bushes to tall Eucalyptus trees. Sometimes joins with feeding flocks of rayaditos and other species, mainly in winter. Black-and-white pattern much like other small woodpeckers, with barred upperparts and dark streaks (or stripes) on breast. Male has a red nape patch.
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