White-naped Pigeon
Columba albinucha
A dark maroon-gray pigeon with a hind-crown and nape that are white in the male and gray in the female. At close quarters the bill can be seen to have a black base with a red-yellow tip, and the legs are reddish-purple. In flight the tail has pale-tipped corners. A scarce and localized resident found in pairs in the canopy of lowland and sub-montane forest in isolated populations in the Albertine Rift and Cameroon. Vocalizations are poorly documented, but reputed to be similar to those of Rameron Pigeon, which is larger than White-naped with a yellow eye-ring, bill, and feet, white speckling on the wings, and no white on the head.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Columba albinucha
- Authority
- Sassi, 1911
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Columba
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Andaman Nightjar
Caprimulgus andamanicus
A dark, medium-sized nightjar with a somewhat long tail and wings. The crown and back are markedly paler gray, and the white throat patch can sometimes be hidden. In flight, note the white patch on the outermost flight feathers. Found in open woodland, forest clearings, and mangroves. The song consists of 4-5 loud, hard notes delivered in a level series: “chowk-chowk-chowk-...”.
Zebra Finch
Taeniopygia guttata
Small finch with bright orange bill and a distinctive black-and-white “moustache” mark. Adult male gray above, with barred grayish bib, rusty white-spotted flanks, and black-and-white tail pattern. Female smooth gray to buff on the chest and belly; juvenile similar but with a dark gray bill. Inhabits arid inland Australia, where often found in very large flocks.
Cinnamon-crested Spadebill
Platyrinchus saturatus
A tiny flycatcher of forest understory. Generally difficult to see. Notably plain: brown above and yellowish-white below with a semi-concealed chestnut crown that is not visible under most field conditions. Note small size, plain face, and wide bill characteristic of spadebills. Inhabits understory of lowland rainforest, where it perches in low vegetation and makes short upward sallies to nab insects on the undersides of leaves. May follow mixed-species flocks but is more often found away from them. Most frequently heard call is a short, inflected squeak, often given in alarm as the bird flies away; song is a surprisingly loud, grating series of notes. Best told from other spadebills by plain plumage and lack of strong facial pattern.
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