Large Woodshrike
Tephrodornis virgatus
Nondescript large-billed bird with a bandit’s mask. Very similar to Common Woodshrike, but note heavier bill and lack of white eyebrow. A species of lowland and hill forests. Forages slowly and quietly, often in upper levels of forest and frequently with mixed-species flocks. Song is a rapid monotone series of whistles, the first one or two notes sometimes lower. Also frequently gives a harsh rattling call.
Taxonomy
It is usually placed in the family Vangidae. The Malabar woodshrike is sometimes considered conspecific with the large woodshrike.<p>Ten subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Tephrodornis virgatus
- Authority
- (Temminck, 1824)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tephrodornithidae
- Genus
- Tephrodornis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Spot-flanked Gallinule
Porphyriops melanops
Small marsh bird with a disjunct range in South America, from central Colombia to eastern Brazil to central Chile. Note gray head and breast, warm brown upperparts, and brown flanks with white spots. Its greenish bill is distinctive. Singles or pairs can be seen swimming or walking in marshy habitat at the edge of lakes or ponds, sometimes remaining quite hidden. Unlikely to be confused, but compare with juvenile Common Gallinule, which has a dingy bill and a bold white stripe on the flanks.
Rimatara Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus rimitarae
A large warbler with a yellowish eyebrow and a dark eye-stripe. Crown and upperparts warm olive-brown. Body and tail messily interspersed with white, giving a variably patchy white-and-brown appearance. Found in brushy forest and reed beds. Most common vocalizations reported to be loud scolding “chack-chack” calls and chirping.
Blue-throated Goldentail
Chlorestes eliciae
Uncommon and local, rather small hummingbird of humid forest edge, plantations, and woodlands in tropical lowlands and foothills. Perches and feeds mainly at middle to upper levels in shady understory and at edges. Note the bright red bill and greenish-gold tail (which often looks grayish). Male has violet gorget. Female has violet throat spotting, but often these areas look rather dull and grayish unless they catch the light.
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