Crested Partridge

An oriole-sized, bulbul-like songbird confined to Sulawesi. Plain olive-green above and yellow below. Central and southeast Sulawesi form shows rufous wings and tail; elsewhere these are olive. Noisy pairs or small groups are leaders of mixed-species flocks within canopy and subcanopy of montane forest, often gleaning food from thick, mossy trunks. Large size, bulbul-like appearance, and behavior make it unmistakable. Raucous, jarring calls include loud chattering and explosive warbles. These are conspicuous and far-carrying.

The breeding male is buff, chestnut, and black with a 21-centimeter tail that is laterally flattened with both short bulging feathers and long, tapering dagger-like feathers. The female and non-breeding male have a strongly contrasting black-and-white head, including a characteristic dark bill and a double “C” pattern under the ear. The males aggressively hold territories, but small groups forage together in dry and moist savanna. After breeding, they flock with other seedeaters. This whydah gives dry chip calls and imitates the calls of the Green-winged Pytilia, which it parasitizes. The Broad-tailed Paradise-Whydah differs from the Eastern Paradise-Whydah as follows: the breeding male has a shorter broader tail; the non-breeding male and female have a paler bill and a plainer facial pattern.

A medium-sized cuckooshrike from Halmahera with an entirely dark slate-gray body and a black face and throat. Singles and pairs occur within forest, principally in the foothills, but also in the lowlands. The species lacks the pale fringing on the wing feathers and pale spots on the undertail of Common Cicadabird, and further differs in its black throat. Much smaller, smaller-billed, and darker than Stout-billed Cuckooshrike. Gives a harsh, chattering “chit-it-it-it-it” song, characteristic of many cuckooshrikes.