Blue-fronted Redstart
Phoenicurus frontalis
Male is unmistakable, with his orange breast, belly, and tail and ultramarine-blue head and back. Female is brown with no wingbars and an orange tail and lower belly; watch out for the unique upside-down black ‘T’ on her tail. The species breeds in brushy open subalpine areas and winters in foothills in scrubby areas, field edges, and gardens. Like many other redstarts, often perches visibly, bobbing tail up and down. Song is a series of pleasant warbles and bubbly buzzing. Calls include a distinctive wet ticking, often preceded by a quiet whistled note.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Phoenicurus frontalis
- Authority
- Vigors, 1831
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Phoenicurus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Northern Cassowary
Casuarius unappendiculatus
An enormous flightless bird of lowland rainforest. Shaggy black plumage, blue head and bright red or yellow around the base of the neck. Large casque flattened at the back and a single wattle from the throat. A very shy and little-known species which, like other cassowaries, forages on the forest floor, mainly for fallen fruit. Similar to Southern Cassowary but Northern has single rather than double wattle, different-shaped casque and usually red or yellow all the way around the base of the throat.
Secretarybird
Sagittarius serpentarius
A distinctive, tall, long-legged, crane-like raptor with unique quill-like plumes on its head and bright-red facial skin. In flight, the dark edge to the hind wing, diamond-shaped tail, and long spatulate tail feathers make it unmistakable. It prefers open rangeland and savanna, where it strides about hunting for reptiles, small mammals, and insects, which it bludgeons with its powerful legs.
Silver-backed Needletail
Hirundapus cochinchinensis
A large, powerful swift, usually seen flying above montane forests. Similar in size and shape to White-throated Needletail and can be difficult to distinguish in poor lighting. At close range, grayish (rather than white) throat patch and a smaller, duller pale patch on the back are distinctive. If seen with White-throated, appears marginally smaller and less bulky, with a shorter-winged silhouette. Voice a thin, descending twitter.
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