Female © Julien Lamouroux
Male © Anonymous
Male © Ian Davies

Maroon-backed Whistler Coracornis raveni

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Identification

POWERED BY MERLIN

A sparrow-sized, thick-billed songbird from the mountains of Sulawesi. Male is distinctive, almost entirely dark sooty gray except for the maroon back. Female and juvenile are nondescript, entirely dark rusty-brown above and dull olive underneath, but paler on the undertail. A shy inhabitant of montane forest, where singles and pairs stay low in the understory. Female is dark on the breast, unlike Sulphur-bellied Whistler, and lacks yellow flanks, unlike Hylocitrea. Vocalizations are characteristic of whistlers, often including whipping notes: “chiyoo-WHIT” and “chi-WHIT.” Also gives a subdued “brrrr-chit.”

POWERED BY MERLIN