Mountain Robin-Chat
Cossyphicula isabellae
A fairly plain brown-and-orange robin-chat with a white eyebrow and a dark face. As in most robin-chats, the tail has a dark center and orange edges. An inconspicuous bird of the understory of montane forest. Sometimes follows columns of ants. Similar to White-bellied Robin-Chat, but distinguished by the orange belly and the much bolder white eyebrow. Also similar to Bocage’s Akalat, but distinguished by the white eyebrow and the two-colored tail. The song is a series of several squeaky, rasping whistles, far less conspicuous and musical than the vocalizations of most robin-chats.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Cossyphicula isabellae
- Authority
- (Gray, GR, 1862)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Cossyphicula
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Noronha Elaenia
Elaenia ridleyana
The only flycatcher on the island of Fernando de Noronha. Olive-brown above, paler below, with three white wingbars. Occurs in wooded habitats throughout the island. Call is a series of fluted notes “thiu.” The Noronha Vireo has a very different shape and is smaller with a white eyebrow.
Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush
Ianthocincla konkakinhensis
Beautiful brownish laughingthrush with intricate black dappling, speckling, and spotting all over the body. Note orange ear patch, pale bluish eyebrows and wing panel, and messy black smattering on the lower neck. White-tipped tail, streaked (not solid black) forehead, and blue feathers surrounding the eye eliminate warmer-colored Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush. Inhabits hill and mountain forests. Not as social as other laughingthrushes; usually found singly or in pairs. Song is a long, musical series of warbled notes, unlike the rather plain-sounding and repetitive song of Rufous-chinned. Call is a rasping buzz.
Gray-throated Tit-Flycatcher
Fraseria griseigularis
A slim, long-tailed forest flycatcher, remarkably plain gray with a black tail and slightly paler underparts. Found in lowland rainforest and along forest edges. Inconspicuous and usually detected by voice. Similar to Gray Tit-Flycatcher, but plainer, found in different habitats, and easily separated by the black tail. Similar to other gray flycatchers, but slimmer and plainer, with a more horizontal posture. The song is a melancholy short series of whistles that is variable, but usually has a down-up-down pattern, with a longer last note.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.