Visayan Shama
Copsychus superciliaris
A medium-sized, long-tailed bird of lowland and foothill forest in the western Visayas. Black on the upperparts and tail, with a white belly and pale pink legs. Male has a black throat and chest. Female has a rufous patch on the rump and lower back, and a white throat with a black breast band. Somewhat similar to Philippine Magpie-Robin, but has a long white eyebrow and no white wing patch. Heard more often than seen. Gives a very varied song, with loud melodic whistles, warbling trills, and repeated loud “chew chew chew!” notes.
Identification
Described on ebird as "A medium-sized, long-tailed bird... Black on the upperparts and tail, with a white belly and pale pink legs. Male has a black throat and chest. Female has a rufous patch on the rump and lower back, and a white throat with a black breast band. Somewhat similar to Philippine magpie-robin, but has a long white eyebrow and no white wing patch. Heard more often than seen. Gives a very varied song, with loud melodic whistles, warbling trills, and repeated loud “chew chew chew!” notes."
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Copsychus superciliaris
- Authority
- (Bourns & Worcester, 1894)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Copsychus
Range and habitat
Its natural habitat is moist tropical primary and secondary forest up to 1,000 meters above sea level.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Yellow-crowned Elaenia
Myiopagis flavivertex
Small, inconspicuous bird of coastal swamps and seasonally inundated forests. Yellow crown is essentially impossible to see under most viewing conditions; note dull overall appearance, indistinct wing bars, and longish tail. Inhabits upper levels of tall forest; also occurs in abandoned plantations and other disturbed habitats, where it may be found closer to the ground. Feeds on insects and fruit. Most similar to Greenish Elaenia but has more prominent wing bars; Forest Elaenia is more clean-cut, with a stronger facial pattern and white crown patch. Explosive song is a decelerating cackle; it is distinctive once learned and usually the most reliable indicator of this species’s presence.
Vogelkop Owlet-nightjar
Aegotheles affinis
A mid-sized owlet-nightjar of lower montane forests. Strongly barred back and chest with a brown base, whitish belly and a pale collar. A large, fluffy-headed appearance. Often seen with its head sticking out of a tree cavity. The similar Wallace’s and Mountain Owlet-Nightjars may co-occur but Vogelkop Owlet-Nightjar has only barring on the chest and lacks the small white streaks, or flecks on the back. Vocalizations unknown.
Black-tailed Leaftosser
Sclerurus caudacutus
Reclusive, dark brown bird of mature rainforest understory. Forages singly or in pairs on the ground, scraping dead leaves aside to look for prey underneath; unlikely to be found with mixed-species flocks. Small pale throat patch and cold brown coloration help distinguish it from other leaftossers; similar to Gray-throated Leaftosser, but Black-tailed has a smaller throat patch and darker grayish-brown undersides (Gray-throated has a warmer reddish-brown breast). Found both in upland and seasonally flooded areas. Its song is a decelerating series of piping whistles; also listen for its sharp “PEEK!” call note, for some recalling Hairy Woodpecker.
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