Malia
Malia grata
An oriole-sized, bulbul-like songbird confined to Sulawesi. Plain olive-green above and yellow below. Central and southeast Sulawesi form shows rufous wings and tail; elsewhere these are olive. Noisy pairs or small groups are leaders of mixed-species flocks within canopy and subcanopy of montane forest, often gleaning food from thick, mossy trunks. Large size, bulbul-like appearance, and behavior make it unmistakable. Raucous, jarring calls include loud chattering and explosive warbles. These are conspicuous and far-carrying.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Malia grata
- Authority
- Schlegel, 1880
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Leiothrichidae
- Genus
- Malia
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds

Orange-crowned Warbler
Leiothlypis celata
Nondescript warbler, generally olive-colored overall, but different populations vary from grayer to brighter yellow. Overall very plain and unmarked, but note short darkish line through eye and thin pale eye arcs. Forages for insects in scrubby areas, woodland edge, and thickets. Namesake orange crown is very difficult to see, and usually only a faint wash at best. More common in western North America, from Alaska to Mexico, where populations are brighter yellow-green. Birds in eastern North America are scarcer and drabber, often with a more contrasting grayish head. Bright yellow undertail coverts help separate Orange-crowned from the similarly drab Tennessee Warbler.

Thick-billed Flowerpecker
Pachyglossa agilis
Dull gray-brown flowerpecker with streaked white underparts. Unremarkable; bill isn’t all that noticeably thick, but combination of pale vent, striped throat, and (in some subspecies) strongly streaked underparts serve to identify this wide-ranging and variable species. Like many other flowerpeckers, often associated with mistletoe, but can be found in a variety of forest types and elevations. Often heard giving a hard, slightly wet “tsip!”

White-cheeked Antbird
Gymnopithys leucaspis
Distinctive antbird with pale blue eyering and snowy white underparts and rusty upperparts. Black eyebrow and cheek extends through neck sides and down flanks. Occurs in lowland rainforest east of the Andes; no range overlap with similar Bicolored Antbird. Most often seen in the vicinity of army ant swarms, perched on vertical branches or vines close to the ground. Several individuals may gather at a large ant swarm. Listen for harsh descending “churr” calls that might be a clue that there’s an ant swarm nearby.
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