Brown Sicklebill
Epimachus meyeri
A large, long-tailed bird of montane forest with a long, curved bill. Male has black upperparts with some iridescence, brown underparts and very long tail. Female is brown above with rufous crown, barred belly and black face. Male does an astonishing display, where two articulated fans are lifted above the head and the whole body is swayed up and down. Similar to Black Sicklebill, but Brown is usually found at higher elevations and has a pale blue eye. Male has brown and female a barred chest. Voice, sounds scarily like short bursts of a machine gunfire.
Identification
The brown sicklebill is large, up to 96 cm long, dark blue and green with highly iridescent plumages, a sickle-shaped bill, pale blue iris and brown underparts. The male is adorned with ornamental plumes on the sides of its rear and a huge sabre-shaped central tail feathers that are highly prized by natives. The female is a reddish-brown bird with buff barred black below.
Taxonomy
A female specimen of the brown sicklebill was collected in New Guinea by the German collector Carl Hunstein in 1884. This specimen was formally described in 1886 by the German naturalists Otto Finsch and Adolf Bernhard Meyer under the current binomial name Epimachus meyeri. The genus name is from the Ancient Greek επιμαχος (epimakhos) meaning "equipped for battle" (from makhomai meaning "to fight"). The specific epithet meyeri is named after Meyer, one of the authors of the description. Although several subspecies have been described, these are no longer recognised and the brown sicklebill is considered to be monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Epimachus meyeri
- Authority
- Finsch & Meyer, AB, 1886
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Paradisaeidae
- Genus
- Epimachus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Crowned Hornbill
Lophoceros alboterminatus
Dark brown hornbill with a white belly and an orange bill. The white corners of the tail are conspicuous in flight. Males and females are similar, but male has a bigger casque on top of the bill. Found in lush woodland, forest, and forest edge. Often in small flocks. Call is a long series of high, piping notes. Has little overlap in range with similar hornbills, and is unique in having a yellow eye.
American Golden-Plover
Pluvialis dominica
Slender, long-winged plover usually found in relatively dry habitats. Breeding plumage shows black belly and face, white neck sides, and dark back and crown spangled with gold. Note sides and undertail coverts entirely black, but beware females and molting birds can be mottled with some white. Nonbreeding plumage is much drabber; grayish overall with distinct white eyebrow and dark cap. Juveniles are crisp and neatly spangled above, washed with gold on the upperparts. At all seasons, note slender shape and narrow bill to separate from Black-bellied Plover, along with grayish underwing in flight. Extremely similar to Pacific Golden-Plover; American is slightly longer-winged, shorter-legged, and smaller-billed, but these features are difficult to judge. Juvenile American is usually duller than Pacific, especially on the face and neck. Average habitat preferences are important (Pacific Golden and Black-bellied more regular on beaches and mudflats), but much overlap. Range is also important. Breeds on Arctic tundra. Fairly common migrant through central North America, uncommon on East Coast, rare on Pacific Coast. During migration, prefers sod fields, dry mudflats, and pastures; often in small flocks, sometimes mixed with Black-bellied Plover. Winters in South America. Note voice: a plaintive “pleedoo” call.
Black-headed Parrotbill
Paradoxornis margaritae
A large, black-capped parrotbill restricted to southern Annam in Vietnam and adjacent areas of Cambodia. Similar in general shape and color scheme to Gray-headed Parrotbill (no range overlap) but with an indistinct dark cheek patch, warmer coloration, and no bold black stripes on the face. Primarily inhabits forest edge areas, particularly with dominant scrubby cover. Social, roving around in flocks at all levels of the forest. Song is a series of bright and somewhat husky repeated notes.
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