Red-naped Bushshrike
Laniarius ruficeps
A beautiful bushshrike of dry country. Both sexes are gray, black, and white, though females are somewhat duller. Always shows some red on the crown, but there is geographical variation: crown is fully red in some areas and partially black in other areas. Found in dry savanna and thornscrub with dense undergrowth. Generally uncommon and inconspicuous. The distinctive song is a duet in which the male gives a loud, nasal “kwee” and the female makes a ratcheting series.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Laniarius ruficeps
- Authority
- (Shelley, 1885)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Malaconotidae
- Genus
- Laniarius
Range and habitat
It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. Its natural habitat is subtropical and tropical dry shrubland, under 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above sea level.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Long-tailed Tyrant
Colonia colonus
Distinctive flycatcher: long central tail feathers usually obvious, longer in males than females. Even without tail, plumage is unique: black body with white back and eyebrow. Fairly small flycatcher, usually perched conspicuously in clearings, open habitats, or forest edges. Listen for rising whistled call.
Blue Duck
Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos
Endemic to New Zealand. Uniformly slate-blue duck with chestnut spotting on the breast. Bill is pale pink with a black tip. Males larger than females, with more breast spotting and more prominent green iridescence on the head, neck, and back. Found on clear, fast-flowing mountain streams. The Maori name, whio, is derived from the male’s high-pitched, wheezy whistle. Female’s call is a low rasping growl, often in response to disturbance. Readily distinguished from Pacific Black Duck or Mallard by uniform coloration and, if on the water, prominent tail tilted upward and head held erect.
Fuscous Flycatcher
Cnemotriccus fuscatus
Medium-sized flycatcher found in a variety of dense scrubby habitats often close to water. Note the pale wingbars and eyebrows that contrast with the gray-brown back and yellowish belly. Several distinctive subspecies differ in plumage tones, extent of the eyebrow, bill color, and call. Similar to Euler's Flycatcher, but with a strong eyebrow. The song is a sharp “jet-jet-pew-pew,” with more emphasis on the last note.
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