Obscure Berrypecker
Melanocharis arfakiana
A small, rare and little-known bird of foothill forest. Medium gray head and back, pale gray throat and chest, and olive flight feathers. Feeds on small berries in the midstory and sub-canopy. Similar to female Black and Mid-mountain Berrypeckers, but Obscure has an orange base to the bill and a yellow tuft on the sides. Song, a short high-pitch phrase “wichoo-wichiti!”
Identification
The obscure berrypecker is a drab olive coloured bird with a greyish wash on its upperparts. It resembles the female black berrypecker except that its wing linings and pectoral tufts are yellowish and the bill is pale coloured. The species is arboreal (Gregory & Webster 2004) and probably is a solitary forager of fruit and small invertebrates obtained by hover-gleaning (like the rest of the berrypeckers).
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Melanocharis arfakiana
- Authority
- (Finsch, 1900)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Melanocharitidae
- Genus
- Melanocharis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Malawi Batis
Batis dimorpha
A cute, dumpy, colorful flycatcher-like bird that flits around in the mid-canopy and understory of forest, forest edge, plantations, and gardens. Males have a broad black chest band, yellow-orange eye, white stripe through the top of the wing, and white throat. Females have an orange eye, buff-and-white stripe through the top of the wing, and rufous chin patch. The song is a series of 8-9 plaintive steady piping “peooop” notes, and calls include buzzing grating “ddrz-drrzt-drrr, ddt-ddzt-drzt-drr”. Female Dark Batis is distinguished by its darker (rich rufous rather than white and buff) wing stripe. Male Dark Batis is very similar, but has a slightly longer tail and broader black breast stripe. Also similar to Chinspot Batis, but has darker orange color to the eyes, and female Malawi Batis shows paler rufous on the throat and buff tinges to the wing stripe.
Cerulean Warbler
Setophaga cerulea
Brilliant sky-blue warbler of the high canopy. Prefers mature deciduous forest, either in riparian areas or dry mountain ridge-tops. Tends to stay high in the canopy; thus, can be difficult to see blue color. From below, look for white throat and belly, thin necklace, and dark streaks on sides. Female is a unique muted turquoise with pale eyebrow and blurry streaks on sides. Immature birds show yellow wash on underparts. All plumages have bold white wingbars. Easiest to detect in spring and summer by its loud buzzy song, similar to Black-throated Blue but usually richer and more distinctly three-parted; much lower-pitched than Blackburnian Warbler. Winters primarily on the east slope of the Andes from Venezuela to Bolivia.
Galapagos Flycatcher
Myiarchus magnirostris
Drab but entertaining flycatcher endemic to Galápagos. Plumage is largely brownish-gray with a yellow belly, pale gray throat, and white wingbars; head has a rusty tinge in fresh plumage. Also note stout bill. The only member of its genus found in Galápagos, greatly simplifying ID. Completely fearless of people. Energetically chases insects from the ground or from elevated perches, such as bushes, cacti, spotting scopes, and surprised tourists.
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