New Guinea Flightless Rail
Megacrex inepta
A very large, flightless rail of lowland swamp forests. Thick yellow bill and strong black legs. Dark brown back, buffy flanks and a pale face and chest. Flicks its wings upwards often. Somewhat similar to Rufous-tailed Bush-Hen, although New Guinea Flightless-Rail is significantly larger, not as dark and has a longer bill. Similar size to a scrubfowl, but the bill is totally different. Call, a rough, introductory “rak! rak! rak! Followed by a series of upslurred growling sounds repeated constantly.
Identification
The New Guinea flightless rail (Megacrex inepta), also known as the Papuan flightless rail, is a species of bird in the family Rallidae, in the monotypic genus Megacrex. Sometimes however, it was included in Amaurornis or Habroptila, but this is incorrect.
Taxonomy
Genus: Megacrex; Family: Rallidae; Order: Gruiformes.
- Scientific name
- Megacrex inepta
- Authority
- D'Albertis & Salvadori, 1879
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rallidae
- Genus
- Megacrex
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Southern Crested Guineafowl
Guttera edouardi
A large-bodied, small-headed, black gamebird perfectly lined with rows of hundreds of bluish-white spots. It has a ridiculous-looking plumed “toupee” above the naked face, which features an ivory-colored bill and a blood-red eye. The facial skin color varies geographically, and can be mostly blue-gray with small patches of red and white, or predominantly blue-gray with a large white patch on the back of the neck. A broad band around the base of the neck is unspotted black. It prefers forest and thickets, where it forages on the ground for berries, seeds, and other plant matter. The similar Helmeted Guineafowl differs by its lack of feathered crest and its having a bone-like casque on top of the head instead. The alarm call is a series of rattling, agitated notes that speed up and slow down; similar to the call of Helmeted Guineafowl, but with a tinnier quality.
Laura's Woodland-Warbler
Phylloscopus laurae
A medium-sized, greenish leaf-warbler with a bright yellow throat, eyebrow, and vent, and pale belly. Eastern birds are brighter than those farther west. Immature is duller than adult, tinged brown on the upperparts. Pairs are inconspicuous residents in swamp and isolated evergreen forest patches in Miombo woodland, and in montane forest. Gleans insects from mid-level to forest canopy, often using edges and clearings. Similar migrant Willow Warbler is duller than Laura’s and lacks clear yellow throat and white belly demarcation; Laura’s does not overlap with other African resident wood-warblers. The distinctive melodious song is a series of 5-8 regularly repeated phrases “pri-chi-rri, pri-chir-ri, pri-chi-ri” or “twi-li, twi-li-twi-li”.
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelos
Plumage brown above and whitish below with droplet-shaped dark spots; breast has rich buffy wash in fresh plumage (mainly autumn–winter). Appreciably smaller, darker overall, and more compact than Mistle Thrush. An inhabitant of wooded habitats, including parks, gardens, and farmland with hedges and taller trees; often feeds on lawns and grassy verges, but usually near cover. Strident song, often heard in suburban neighborhoods, is more prolonged than that of Eurasian Blackbird, and frequently repeats phrases 2-4 times. A native of Eurasia, introduced to southeastern Australia, New Zealand, and a few surrounding islands.
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