White-shouldered Triller
Lalage sueurii
Slender inhabitant of open wooded areas in lowlands and foothills. Smartly-patterned black-and-white male can be difficult to distinguish from Sulawesi and Pied Trillers where ranges overlap, but note his extremely narrow white eyebrow and less extensive white on the wing. Female, with her dirt-brown back, is fairly distinctive among trillers. Forages in trees and on the ground; often uses exposed perches. Gives a fast, high-pitched series of “tchew” notes, often with a quiet introductory note.
Identification
The white-shouldered triller (Lalage sueurii) is a passerine bird belonging to the triller genus Lalage in the cuckoo-shrike family Campephagidae. It is found in Indonesia and East Timor. The white-winged triller (L. tricolor) of Australia and New Guinea was formerly included in this species but is now treated as a separate species. It is a fairly small bird, 17 centimetres in length. The bill is grey with a black tip and the legs and feet are black. The male is mainly black above and white below. It has a grey rump, white stripe over the eye, white wing-patches and white on the outer tail-feathers. Females have a similar pattern to the males but are brown instead of black above and have fine black barring on the underparts. The pied triller is similar but is slightly smaller with a broader stripe above the eye and more white in the wing. The male white-winged triller has no white stripe over the eye. The song of the white-shouldered triller is a metallic whistling which is sometimes given in flight. It also utters a rapid series of harsh notes. It occurs in eastern Java, southern Sulawesi, Bali and on the Lesser Sunda Islands. It inhabits open woodland, savannas and agricultural land in dry, lowland areas. It feeds on insects, often swooping down from a perch to catch them on the ground.
Taxonomy
Genus: Lalage; Family: Campephagidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Lalage sueurii
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1818)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Campephagidae
- Genus
- Lalage
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: rising.
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker
Prionochilus xanthopygius
Brightly-colored pinball of a bird. Male is blue above and yellow below with a narrow red crown and an orange flush on the breast. Female has a gray head, olive-yellow wings, and yellow underparts that are slightly duller than the male’s; also note white throat. Both sexes have namesake yellow rump. Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker can be similar; note lack of white moustache stripe on Yellow-rumped. Forages actively in all levels of forest and forest edge in lowlands and foothills.
Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat
Cossypha cyanocampter
A colorful robin-chat of humid forest habitats. The head is strikingly patterned, with a black cap and cheek, a white eyebrow, and an orange throat. The shoulder has a pale blue patch that can be largely or completely obscured. The tail has a dark center and broad orange sides. Found in the understory of various types of forest at low and middle elevations, including rainforest, gallery forest, and secondary forest. Similar to White-browed Robin-Chat, though generally found in more forested environments. Separated by the blue shoulder and the different and far more variable song. The song is a complex, variable, and musical mix of whistles and many other types of notes that usually also includes imitations of other birds.
Scarlet-rumped Tanager
Ramphocelus passerinii
Fairly common in humid tropical lowlands. Favors evergreen forest edges, plantations, and verdant second growth, such as areas along roadsides. Forages mainly at low to middle levels often in fairly noisy small groups. Male is unmistakable if seen clearly: velvety black with a blinding scarlet rump. Female is very different: note distinctive bluish-white bill, tawny rump, and grayish head. Formerly known as Cherrie's Tanager and Passerini's Tanager.
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