Bird of the day
Finsch's rufous thrush
Stizorhina finschi
Finsch's rufous thrush (Stizorhina finschi), also known as Finsch's flycatcher-thrush, Finsch's rusty flycatcher, Finsch's ant thrush or Finsch's rufous ant thrush, is a little-known flycatcher-like thrush of West African forests. It is often considered a subspecies of Fraser's rufous thrush.
Finsch's flycatcher-thrushes are 18 to 20 cm (7.1 to 7.9 in) long. Adults are brown above and orangish below, more gray or olive on the nape and breast and more rufous at the rear of the body. The tail is dark brown with white corners. The cheeks and throat are pale with gray and orange tints. Immatures are undescribed.
The voice is similar to that of the rufous flycatcher-thrush. In Liberia it sings from May to October. The song is four melodious whistles, "hooee, hooee hooee-huEE, slower and lower-pitched than song of Rufous Flycatcher Thrush". One call is four rapidly repeated notes, "tswe-tswe-tswe-tswe" with the variant "tsw-tsee… tsweeeee"; another is "a long, plaintive whistle wee… weeeee-eee." In alarm caused by predators it gives a "buzzing word-word-word." Unlike the rufous flycatcher-thrush, this species responds to recordings of its call.
Aliases
Stizorhina finschi, Neocossyphus finschii