Brown Mesite

Mesitornis unicolor

Odd, plain brown, ground-dwelling bird that is rarely seen by those not looking for it. Usually seen in pairs or family groups, walking on the forest floor. Found in eastern rainforest at low and middle elevations, usually on steep slopes. Call is a loud and explosive series of descending or two-noted whistles, usually given in duet by a pair. Can be separated from other mesites by range. Similar to Madagascar Wood-Rail, but slimmer, longer-tailed, and with paler underparts. 

识别特征

This species is a medium-sized terrestrial bird which is often described as rail-like (a family with which the mesites are sometimes placed). The species has a plain face, marked only by a slightly contrasting fleshy eye-ring around a rather large eye and a variable white streak behind the eye. It has a short straight bill. The upperparts of the bird are rufous brown, the underside tawny with no barring or spotting.

分类信息

学名
Mesitornis unicolor
命名信息
(des Murs, 1845)
Mesitornithiformes
Mesitornithidae
Mesitornis

分布与栖息地

The brown mesite has a patchy distribution in humid evergreen forest along the eastern coast of Madagascar, from Marojejy National Park in the north to Tôlanaro to the south.

迁徙
Vertical migration

行为

The brown mesite is a humid forest species, it forages by walking through the forest floor flicking over leaf-litter in order to find invertebrates. Its rufous brown plumage provides reasonable camouflage on the shady forest floor. The preferred habitat is undisturbed deciduous forest from sea-level up to 1,200 meters (3,900 ft). One to three eggs are laid in a nest which consists of a loose platform made from twigs and lined with plant fibre and leaves. The eggs are dull white with brown markings on one end. Soon after hatching the chicks leave the nest. It is secretive and rarely seen.The brown mesite has never been observed flying; this may be simply due to its secretive habits, or it may be because it is in fact flightless.

保护状况

种群趋势
declining

照片

分布

鸟叫声

其他鸟类

Black-tailed Trogon

Black-tailed Trogon

Trogon melanurus

Large trogon with a red belly and stout yellow bill. The female has a gray head and chest, while the male is emerald green with a white band separating the chest from its red belly. Note the plain dark gray undertail. Found in canopy and middle levels of lowland forest, mainly in the Amazon basin of northern South America but also in eastern Panama, northern Colombia, and western Venezuela. The similar Slaty-tailed Trogon has a red bill and males lack the white chest band seen on Black-tailed Trogons. Listen for slow series of low-pitched “coop” calls.

Fork-tailed Sunbird

Fork-tailed Sunbird

Aethopyga christinae

The only sunbird throughout much of its range, where it is found in forests, parks, and gardens. Male is green above, white below, with purple throat, breast, and half-collar. Only male possesses a forked tail. Female duller, greenish above, paler olive-yellow below. Often seen foraging in flowers and gleaning insects from foliage, frequently hovering while doing so.

Moustached Antpitta

Moustached Antpitta

Grallaria alleni

Medium-sized antpitta. Typical antpitta shape: plump and short-tailed with long legs, like a grapefruit on stilts. Mostly brown with a brighter cinnamon belly and grayish crown. Note blotchy white mustache stripe. Very similar in appearance to Scaled Antpitta but typically occurs at slightly higher elevations. Moustached has a less pronounced scaly pattern on the upperparts, browner cheeks, and a slower, higher-pitched song without a stutter in the middle than Scaled Antpitta. Fairly rare and local within limited range in the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador. Occurs in mossy cloud forest in the lower subtropics from around 1,850–2,000 m. Very rarely seen; typically stays hidden in the dense understory, occasionally hopping onto forest trails at dawn or dusk.

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