Western Thornbill

Brightly-colored forest-dweller, endemic to Sumatra’s montane and foothill forests (750-2200 meters). Note olive-green head and breast, bright yellow throat and belly, bluish-green back, candy-red bill, and blue-and-green bare facial skin. Male has a dark reddish rump patch, which female lacks. Sluggish and slow-moving, often sitting stock-still at middle levels of the forest. Flies with whirring wingbeats when foraging or startled. Gives a harsh descending trill and and a whistled “wih-whee-whirrr!”

Chunky pheasant endemic to Sumatra’s highlands and foothills. Male is dark iridescent blue, while the female is warm brown with a dark tail. Both sexes have short tails, bright red patches of bare facial skin, and pale bills with a faint hook. Forages quietly on the forest floor, typically singly, sometimes in pairs. Generally fairly quiet; deep “bwoop” contact calls sometimes given, and males give a wing-whirring display that can be audible at close range.

Long, slim medium-sized sunbird. Breeding males show an array of beautiful iridescent colors in good light, and have a very long, thin tail year-round. Females have a dark face and pale throat. Generally uncommon in montane forest along the Albertine Rift. Most distinctive vocalization is a long, dry rattle, which is unlike the calls of most sunbirds. Fairly similar to Bronze Sunbird. Males are separated by their longer tail, and in breeding plumage by their purple tones. Females are separated by their more pointed tail and lack of a pale eyebrow.