Wetar Oriole
Oriolus finschi
Brown above and pale below, with a dark mask and black bill. Juveniles are heavily streaked. Singles and pairs can be found in lowland and foothill forest patches, woodlands, mangroves, and cultivated areas. Resembles Helmeted Friarbird, but lacks a casque, naked facial skin, and a prominent nostril on the blunter-tipped bill. Gives a high-pitched “k’yow” and “weeyoo.”
Taxonomy
The Wetar oriole was originally described as a separate species but was later reclassified as a subspecies. However, more recent revisions to the IOC World Bird List have found it to be a distinct species. This species and the Timor oriole were formerly grouped together as olive-brown oriole.
- Scientific name
- Oriolus finschi
- Authority
- Hartert, EJO, 1904
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Oriolidae
- Genus
- Oriolus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Red-and-white Crake
Rufirallus leucopyrrhus
Uncommon and very difficult to see; usually detected by voice, a throaty chatter. Favors wetlands with tall coarse grasses. Note rufous head, brownish back, and white throat and breast with black-and-white broken stripes on the flanks and vent. Lacks the dark cap of the similar Rufous-sided Crake.
Silver-eared Mesia
Leiothrix argentauris
Beautiful small babbler with a black head, bright silver ear, orange underparts, and a bright red wing patch. Travels in noisy flocks through hill and submontane forest, sometimes in single-species groups and occasionally with other species. Unfortunately a common target of the cage bird trade, and escapees are often seen outside of their native range; in some areas, such as Hong Kong, they have even established self-sustaining populations. Warbled song often given as birds move around in flocks.
Tepui Brushfinch
Atlapetes personatus
Large, colorful sparrow of tepui highland forests. Geographically variable but always shows rufous head, olive-gray upperparts, and yellow breast and belly: a combination that renders it unmistakable in its limited range. Found in understory of humid forests in the tepui region, generally above 800 m. Single birds, pairs, or small family groups stay in dense cover and rummage through leaf litter or over mossy substrates, looking for seeds and insects. May emerge from cover to forage on mossy limbs up to several meters high. Often observed with mixed-species flocks. Quite vocal and will sometimes approach to scold observers; calls include a dry chip and various indistinct contact notes, whereas song is a short, arresting series of whistled notes.
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