Maroon-backed Whistler
Coracornis raveni
A sparrow-sized, thick-billed songbird from the mountains of Sulawesi. Male is distinctive, almost entirely dark sooty gray except for the maroon back. Female and juvenile are nondescript, entirely dark rusty-brown above and dull olive underneath, but paler on the undertail. A shy inhabitant of montane forest, where singles and pairs stay low in the understory. Female is dark on the breast, unlike Sulphur-bellied Whistler, and lacks yellow flanks, unlike Hylocitrea. Vocalizations are characteristic of whistlers, often including whipping notes: “chiyoo-WHIT” and “chi-WHIT.” Also gives a subdued “brrrr-chit.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Coracornis raveni
- Authority
- Riley, 1918
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pachycephalidae
- Genus
- Coracornis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Black-crowned Fulvetta
Schoeniparus klossi
Adorable small fulvetta with large, liquid cartoon eyes. Plain brown overall. Dark crown patterned with jagged pale streaks, and pale face marked with a broad black stripe above the ear and a smaller “teardrop” below the eye. Inhabits foothill and montane forests. Social and often found in mixed flocks. Clambers around agily on trunks and branches while foraging. Song is a rapid but somewhat halting series of high-pitched chip notes. Calls include similar chips, as well as rattles and sharp disyllabic notes.
Western Crested Berrypecker
Paramythia olivacea
A medium-sized bird of upper-montane forest and shrubland. Mainly slaty-gray with olive back and yellow lower belly. Note the black face, chest and crest which it can hold up or down. Also note the striking white mark above the eye. Can be found singly, in pairs, or in small flocks, which sometimes join mixed flocks with other birds. Very similar to Eastern Crested Berrypecker, but little or no overlap in range, and separated by shorter white mark behind eye, duller olive-green back, and lack of yellow along the sides. Not very vocal, but does give various scratchy calls and a nasal “wek!”.
Temminck's Tragopan
Tragopan temminckii
Rotund terrestrial bird of hilly forests, usually seen singly. Male exquisitely colored: bright flame-orange overall, with white dots all over the body, black face, and electric blue facial wattle that is inflated into a liver-shaped, dazzling red-and-blue flap during courtship. Female similarly shaped and sized, dark brown overall, with pale spotting and streaking. Generally quiet; courting males give loud booming moans.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.