Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher

Distinctive and charismatic little bird with a bright orangey face and breast (easily hidden when facing away). Juvenile is very different, with bold pale buffy spotting on the back and breast. Found in a wide range of wooded habitats, including forests, gardens, hedges in farmland, and heathland, usually fairly near cover. Hops perkily on the ground, pausing to look around, often flicking its wings and cocking its tail. Also feeds by dropping to the ground from low perches, snatching up prey and flying back up to a shady perch. High-pitched song is highly variable, and incorporates a range of warbles and trills. Subsong is a rambling warbling series often incorporating odd fizzing and twittering notes. Calls include a dry “tic”, often given in bursts, as well as a thin, high-pitched, descending alarm call.

A striking medium-sized bird of lowland and foothill forest floor or dense undergrowth on Palawan and Balabac. Often found near streams and gullies. Has a blackish body with long white streaks and contrasting rufous wings and tail blending to a blackish tip. Appears hooded, with orange from the crown to the back of the neck, a bright white throat with a fine black moustache stripe, and a black mask. Unmistakable in range. Voice includes slightly rising or falling long, alternating whistles, “puuuuui! piuuuuu!” or a quicker, repeated phrase, “chooit chi-peeet!”

Fairly small flycatcher that perches upright in the mid-story of montane forest and cloud forest. Subtly colorful, with a diffuse gray facial pattern. Look for the warm buffy orange wash on the breast and faint orange wingbars. Warmer orange coloration and lack of a gray crown or strong facial pattern help distinguish it from the similar Slaty-capped Flycatcher, which it replaces at higher elevations. Forages singly or in pairs, occasionally joining mixed-species flocks; has the unusual habit of quickly raising one wing at a time behind its back.