Red-throated Parrotfinch
Erythrura psittacea
Tiny fluorescent green-and-red finch, found only on New Caledonia and the nearby Isle of Pines. Inhabits forest edge, as well as other open wooded habitats, such as scrubby plantation margins, grassy forest clearings, coastal scrub, and mangroves. Forages on the ground and in low vegetation, usually in pairs or small to medium-sized flocks. Gives a cute-sounding falling “seet”, often while foraging in a group.
Taxonomy
The red-throated parrotfinch was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the finches in the genus Fringilla and coined the binomial name Fringilla psittacea. The specific epithet is Modern Latin for "parrot-like". Gmelin based his account on the "parrot finch" that had been described and illustrated in 1783 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his multi-volume work A General Synopsis of Birds. Latham's had access to a specimen that had been shot by the German naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster in New Caledonia. Forster had accompanied James Cook on his second voyage to the Pacific Ocean. The red-throated parrotfinch is now one of 12 parrotfinches placed in the genus Erythrura that was introduced in 1837 by the English naturalist William John Swainson. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Erythrura psittacea
- Authority
- (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Erythrura
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Tawny Fish-Owl
Ketupa flavipes
A large brown owl with wide yellow eyes and sideways-drooping ear tufts; rich tawny brown plumage with black mottling unique in its range. Always found in close proximity to rivers or lakes, usually roosting in dense waterside groves by day. Hunts fish from a low perch at dusk and at night. Hunting birds are seldom observed, as they hunt from tangles and other dense vegetation. Other horned owls in range are either much smaller (Long-eared Owl, scops-owls) or much larger (Eurasian Eagle-Owl). Pairs duet, giving 2-3 deep hoots; younger birds beg with higher-pitched screeching calls.
Sao Tome Oriole
Oriolus crassirostris
Old World oriole that is unusual in nearly lacking yellow in its plumage. There is a dark hood which is solid in males and streaky in females. A small white mark on the wing and pale yellow marks in the outer tail can be conspicuous in flight. Found in the canopy of rainforest at low and middle elevations. Song is a series of slurred, low-pitched liquid whistles. Calls include a harsh, upslurred nasal scold. Easily identified, as it is the only oriole on the island of Sao Tome.
Greater Roadrunner
Geococcyx californianus
A huge, ground-dwelling cuckoo, bane of coyotes. Streaky brown overall with a very long tail and short, shaggy crest. Surprisingly iridescent in good light, with purple and green tones on wings and tail. Usually seen on the ground in dry desert habitats with patches of thick vegetation; sometimes perches on fences or rocks, especially when singing. Runs swiftly after large insects, lizards, and other prey. Unmistakable in most of range; overlaps locally with Lesser Roadrunner in west Mexico. Greater has more streaking on the throat and center of breast, instead of clear buffy on Lesser. Listen for very low-pitched cooing song.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.