Orinocan Saltator

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!”

Active and attractive songbird of open spaces. Breeds in open forests and scrubby vegetation in subalpine areas; winters in a wider altitudinal range in scrubby forest edges, gardens, and fields. Frequently bobs the orange-sided dark tail. Male sports a gray crown and nape, black face, orange underparts, and dark wings with a white wing patch. Females are brownish overall but share the male's bright tail and wing patch. Compare carefully with Common, Hodgson’s, and Black Redstarts. Song is a lively, jingling cascade of warbling; calls include a short, high-pitched whistle and a hard “tsak.”

Small and fairly bright antpitta found in foothills and subtropics from Costa Rica to Bolivia. Typical antpitta shape: plump and short-tailed. Dull brown above. Messy-looking buffy face and eyering. Some geographic variation: breast color varies from buffy to whitish, and some populations show bold dark scaling on breast, while others are nearly unmarked. Sexes similar. Shy and difficult to see; stays on or near the ground in forest, often perching on small limbs a couple meters high (more so than the larger antpittas). Swings its body side to side. Song can be difficult to detect: a simple, extremely high pitched, descending whistle. Occurs from around 500–2,500 m, usually lower than other small antpittas.