Brown-backed Honeyeater

A tiny brown owl of mountains and foothills; descends into valleys and lowlands during the winter. Appears in both rufous and gray morphs, both dark above and white below with long, distinct streaks on the flanks. Tooting song, often given during the day, can be mistaken for that of a barbet, but the Collared Owlet song has four discrete notes, with the second and third notes given close together.

A Javanese highland endemic, found from foothill forest and forest edge up into the low, scrubby growth above the treeline. Long-tailed male is stunning and utterly unmistakable, with a rose-red throat and chest, iridescent blue-green “shield” on the forehead, a smoky dark gray belly, and an iridescent blue tail. Female is much less eye-catching, with a gray head, buffish belly, and brown tail. Both sexes have an olive-brown back and a white streak on the side. Forages actively, sometimes in the lower storeys of forest. Gives bland series of chips, as well as a ringing “dink dink dink!” and a quick, descending “sweep”.

Male is a fairly distinctive seedeater with yellow belly (sometimes very pale), dark breast and face, and brownish-olive back. Often shows some smudgy dark marks down the flanks. Bill is pale silvery. Female seedeaters are extremely difficult to identify; Yellow-bellied tends to look warmer with yellowish tones on underparts, but many are best left unidentified unless accompanied by a male. Most often found in flocks or pairs in open grassy habitats, sometimes near the edge of forest but also in agricultural areas.