Ashy Bulbul
Hemixos flavala
A particularly sharply-dressed bulbul. Throughout most of its range, gray overall with bright yellow-green wing panels, round brown ear patches, and a white throat. Birds in southern Indochina are browner overall, with less contrast. Dark bushy crest is often raised, giving the bird a messy-haired appearance. Inhabits a wide range of wooded habitats in foothill, submontane, and montane regions, often foraging in flocks with other bulbul species. Song consists of short, jumbled phrases of metallic warbled notes. Calls are variable, including both harsh chattering and tuneful piping notes.
Taxonomy
Formerly, some authorities classified the ashy bulbul in the genera Hypsipetes and Microscelis.<p>Five subspecies are currently recognized:
- Scientific name
- Hemixos flavala
- Authority
- Blyth, 1845
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pycnonotidae
- Genus
- Hemixos
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Freckled Nightjar
Caprimulgus tristigma
Large, grayish nightjar. Both sexes show a small white mark in the outer wing. Male shows large white tail corners, while the female’s tail is plain. Found on rocky hills and outcrops, usually in savannah. Song is a loud, repeated “kow-chow.” Most similar to Eurasian Nightjar, but smaller, and lacks strong pale markings on the upperparts.
Rufous-faced Crake
Rufirallus xenopterus
Very secretive crake with a relatively long tail and a stout bill. Note the rufous neck and crown that contrast with a black back, the thinly barred black-and-white sides, and the white belly. Inhabits shallow flooded marshes with tussocky or matted grasses. Compare with Red-and-White Crake, which lacks barred wings and has a white (not black) vent, a yellowish (not gray) bill, and gray (not red) legs. Song is a long descending trill.
Romblon Boobook
Ninox spilonotus
A rare medium-sized owl of lowland and foothill forest on Tablas, Romblon, and Sibuyan islands. Upperparts, chest, and head dark brown and indistinctly barred. Underparts reddish brown. Note the long whiskers around the face and the bright yellow eyes. Probably the only owl in its range except for Mantanani Scops-Owl, but Romblon Boobook is reddish rather than gray and lacks the black line around the face. Song is a phrase of three notes, “wik weu-weu,” with the second and third being descending rasping notes.
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