Palawan Frogmouth
Batrachostomus chaseni
A medium-sized night bird of lowland forest on Palawan, where it is the only frogmouth. Male is gray-brown and lightly speckled above with barred flight feathers and tail. Female is more rufous-brown with less patterning. Both sexes have a broken white line above the shoulder and are heavily scalloped with white on the belly, more sparsely on the chest. Note the prominent whiskers around the face. More often heard than seen. Voice is a raspy, whistled “reh-weuu!” with the second note falling.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Batrachostomus chaseni
- Authority
- Stresemann, 1937
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Family
- Podargidae
- Genus
- Batrachostomus
Photos
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Pennant-winged Nightjar
Caprimulgus vexillarius
Breeding males have extraordinary “pennants” growing out of their wings. Non-breeding males are still distinctive due to the huge white patches on the wings. Females are very drab, and lack white in the wing or tail, unlike most nightjars. This is a migratory species that is found in many different habitats on migration and during the non-breeding season. Breeds in moist savanna and broadleaved woodland, especially miombo. Song is a slow, squeaky trill. Female is similar to Standard-winged Nightjar, but is larger and has more barring in the wings.
Chestnut-backed Buttonquail
Turnix castanotus
Streaked buttonquail with very heavy pale bill, found in open woodlands, including stony ridges. Heavily patterned, with pale and dark streaks on rich rufescent back, light streaks on pale olive underparts. In flight, pale wing patches and rusty brown rump visible. When disturbed, this species tends to run away rather than flush. Occurs across parts of northern Kimberley region and top end of the Northern Territory.
Red-backed Sierra Finch
Idiopsar dorsalis
Handsome “finch” that is actually a tanager; found very locally on bogs and rocky slopes of the high Andes. Usually in pairs (sexes look similar) or small groups, feeding quietly on the ground and not associating with other seed-eating birds. Contrasting bright rusty back is diagnostic, but seen only from the front can look very similar to White-throated Sierra-Finch. Immature has duller rusty back with vague dark streaking.
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