Northern Brown-throated Weaver

A beautiful finch with a bright ocean-blue body, greenish wings, a reddish tail, a red head, and a blue throat. Mostly found in closed-canopy forest and forest edge. Scarce in open habitats. Common call is a thin, high-pitched, repetitive “seep.”

One of a number of similar blue flycatchers on Borneo; endemic to the island, where it inhabits foothill and lowland forests. Unobtrusive and not very active, often perching at lower and middle levels in the forest. Male is brightly-colored, but confusingly difficult to separate from other blue flycatchers; note his orange throat and underparts (darkest on chest), dark face, and paler blue crown and back. Female has brown upperparts, an orange chest, pale belly, and rufous-brown tail; also note her pale orange throat and very weak or absent eye ring. Song is a brief but quite beautiful series of tinkling notes.

Large, powerful falcon. Inhabits a range of expansive habitats, from grasslands and mountainsides to open woodlands. Somewhat variable, but always dark "trousers" when perched; the tail extends beyond the wingtips at rest, giving it a “short-winged” appearance. Some birds can appear pale-headed due to light-colored crowns and sparsely-marked faces. In flight, the wings are broad, with dark underwing coverts. Adults have a thin “teardrop” eyeline, whereas juveniles have a thicker one. Compare to similar Gyrfalcon and Peregrine Falcon; note “trouser” color and consistently brown upperparts. Feeds on small mammals and birds.