Black-bellied Myzomela

A medium-sized flycatcher with strikingly different male and female plumages. Male is beautifully colored, with deep blue upperparts, mostly orange underparts, and a white belly. Female is much duller, with a grayish head, gray-brown wings, a rufous tail, and rufous underparts. Scarce and local in the understory of hill forest. Song is jumble of melodious warbling and whistling notes. The calls are loud “chek” or “sit” notes, and are often mixed into the song. Similar to Bornean Blue Flycatcher, but darker, especially on the belly (in both sexes) and back (in the male). Also similar to Sunda Blue Flycatcher, but darker overall and shorter-billed. Dayak Blue Flycatcher is further distinguished by the less extensive black chin patch of the male and the rufous rather than blue tail of the female.

A mid-sized, green-backed woodpecker. Males have a red crown and moustache; females have a white-streaked black forecrown, a red hindcrown, and a white-spotted black moustache. Varies geographically; in most of the range, the underparts are plain buff with some fine speckling, but in the eastern part of the range, the underparts are white with bold spotting. Found in savanna habitats, including broadleaf Guinea savanna and dry thorn savanna. Usually in pairs, which give a series of “kreek” notes in a loud duet. Very similar to Nubian Woodpecker in the narrow zone where their ranges meet, but Fine-spotted is distinguished by having a less streaked face and less heavily marked underparts. Similar overall to Golden-tailed Woodpecker, but has spotted rather than streaked underparts.

A large brown owl with wide yellow eyes and sideways-drooping ear tufts; rich tawny brown plumage with black mottling unique in its range. Always found in close proximity to rivers or lakes, usually roosting in dense waterside groves by day. Hunts fish from a low perch at dusk and at night. Hunting birds are seldom observed, as they hunt from tangles and other dense vegetation. Other horned owls in range are either much smaller (Long-eared Owl, scops-owls) or much larger (Eurasian Eagle-Owl). Pairs duet, giving 2-3 deep hoots; younger birds beg with higher-pitched screeching calls.