Western Bluebill
Spermophaga haematina
A stout-billed, boldly patterned finch of forest understory and overgrown areas near the forest edge, often found near water. Can occur alone or in mixed-species flocks. Note the blue bill, the bright red underparts, and the black back. Males have black heads and bellies, whereas females have red faces and white-spotted black bellies. Western Bluebill is the only bluebill or seedcracker in which the male has a black head. Calls include high-pitched whistles: “psiu.” Songs include longer series of clear whistles with varying pitch.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Spermophaga haematina
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1807)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Spermophaga
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Fulvous Wren
Cinnycerthia fulva
Reddish-brown wren with a faint pale eyebrow found in the understory of humid montane forest. Larger and longer-tailed than the tiny Mountain Wren, which also has a bolder eyebrow. Replaced at the northern end of its range by the very similar Peruvian Wren. Forages singly or in pairs low in bushes and near the ground. Listen for its loud song, a flowing series of whistles and trills.
Moluccan Drongo-Cuckoo
Surniculus musschenbroeki
A blackish, drongo-like cuckoo with a shallow forked tail and broad outer tail tips. Note the slim bill and the barring on the base of the undertail, and on the underwings in flight. Juvenile shows extensive white spotting. Singles and pairs inhabit forest and forest edge within lowlands and foothills. Smaller and slimmer-billed than drongos, with a shallower tail fork and barring in the plumage. Song is a distinctive series of 5-9 whistled notes, each rising up the scale: “ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki.”
Lyre-tailed Honeyguide
Melichneutes robustus
A large canopy honeyguide that is far more often heard than seen, although it does sometimes descend lower, almost to ground level. When seen, its greenish upperparts contrast with its pale olive underparts to give it a two-toned appearance. Belly is pale with flank streaking, and the distinctive tail has white edges and feathers that curve outward, giving it a lyre shape that is most noticeable in the males. Males perform aerial displays high overhead in which they quickly open their wings and tails to create a two-parted sound like a bow on a string that gradually grows louder, “huhwa, huh-wa, HUH-WA.” Despite its distinctive displays, the bird can be frustratingly difficult to locate and see.
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