Javan Scimitar-Babbler
Pomatorhinus montanus
An attractive, fierce-eyed babbler of tropical montane rainforest. Black head with thin, white eyebrow, white from the throat to mid-belly, contrasting strongly with remaining dark maroon body. Note the slightly decurved, yellow bill. Forages in noisy, small groups through the midstorey. Unmistakable if seen well. Calls variable, but commonly gives a soft “wu-tu” followed by a rising “whit!”, quickly repeated. Groups also give an excited chatter.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Pomatorhinus montanus
- Authority
- Horsfield, 1821
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Timaliidae
- Genus
- Pomatorhinus
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Ochre-breasted Pipit
Anthus nattereri
Fairly distinctive for a pipit: blackish-brown above, including the wings, with bright golden feather edgings giving it a boldly streaked appearance. The chest and flanks are buff and lightly streaked. Look for the buffy-yellow eyebrow. Mostly encountered in well-preserved natural grasslands, favoring short grass areas that have regenerated after fires. Gives a series of sharp twittering notes ending with a slurred “eeeeeeeur.”
Madagascar Serpent-Eagle
Eutriorchis astur
Very rare and enigmatic large raptor that is endemic to Madagascar. Occurs very locally in pristine eastern rainforest, where it hunts inside of the forest, never soaring. Call is a series of low “how” notes, sometimes delivered in slow series and sometimes more quickly and emphatically. Very similar to Henst’s Goshawk. Subtle differences include slightly larger size, denser barring on the chest, thinner black bands on the tail, and dark barring on the back.
Dusky-throated Antshrike
Thamnomanes ardesiacus
Small antshrike of lowland rainforest understory. Males are slaty gray overall. Most individuals, but not all, have a ragged black throat patch. Females are dull brown with buffier belly. Shorter-tailed than similar Bluish-Slate and Cinereous Antshrikes, with less upright posture (songs also differ significantly). Smaller-billed than similar Plain-winged Antshrike. One of the most prominent leaders of understory multi-species flocks.
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