North Melanesian Cuckooshrike
Coracina welchmani
A large, thick-set, entirely black cuckooshrike. Long-tailed, with a relatively stubby bill. Resident in forests, usually in foothills and lowlands, especially coastal forest. Unlikely to be confused, but Common Cicadabird is smaller and paler sooty-gray, and Barred Cuckooshrike has a pale eye. North Melanesian Cuckooshrike’s most common call is a long descending whistle, often followed by a shrill “chii.”
Identification
The north Melanesian cuckooshrike (Coracina welchmani) is a species of bird in the cuckooshrike family. It is endemic to the Solomon Islands archipelago. It is considered by some ornithologists to be a subspecies of Coracina caledonica. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Taxonomy
Genus: Coracina; Family: Campephagidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Coracina welchmani
- Authority
- (Tristram, 1892)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Campephagidae
- Genus
- Coracina
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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