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PLATE 76: PARADISE FLYCATCHER, HYPOCOLIUS, PENDULINE TIT AND BULBULS
African Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis RB
L: Male 30–36 (includes long tail), female 20. Unmistakable, bulbul-sized with chestnut upperparts,
glossy blue-black head and breast, with rest of underparts slaty; often large white wing-patches.
Male has very long central tail feathers, absent in less richly coloured female. White morph, rare
in Arabia, has white back, rump, tail and wing-coverts. When flycatching, flight slow, heavy and
wavering; tries to be secretive. Voice Harsh scheep; hoarse tseaeae-tsceaeat. Song has Eurasian
Blackbird-like quality, twe, twoo, twoo, twoo, twoo uttered with fanned tail jerking from side to
side Habitat Semi-tropical woodlands, 200–2400m; usually near water. Nests in fork of tree.
Note Resident in S Oman.Grey Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus wv
L: 23. Recalls slim Southern Grey Shrike but with longer tail. Sleek, soft blue-grey male, with black-
tipped tail and black eye-mask joining over nape (obscure in young male); primaries black (barely
showing at rest) with pure white tips, prominent in flight. Female and immature featureless grey-
brown, lacking black on head and with only diffuse dark tip to tail. May raise slight crest. Can be
tame; often remains still, lurking in cover. Will fly high with steep climb, often for a distance, and
flocks will circle for several minutes; note long tail, short wings and rather rapid wingbeats. Voice
Mellow flight call, a liquid tre-tur-tur, notes running together and the last two lower pitched. When
perched, a descending whee-oo, like Eurasian Wigeon. Habitat Fruit-bearing trees, scrub, palm groves
on passage and in winter. Note Winter hatched (some birds resident in breeding range); rare Oman.Black-headed Penduline Tit Remiz macronyx V
L: 11. Adults of two races, neglectus breeding in south Caspian and darker nigricans breeding in
the Sistan region of Iran, differ from Eurasian Penduline Tit (not yet recorded in Oman) in having an
all-blackish head, the black extending onto the throat, with a white collar in neglectus (lacking
in nigricans, which is entirely dusky-buff below). Immature male and juvenile have a greyish head.
Voice More often heard than seen. A rather quiet, piping, drawn-out and falling seeeeee. Habitat
Migrants occur in trees, bushes or reeds near water. Note Vagrant Oman.White-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis RB (E/I)
L: 18. Easily told by black head and throat, and large white cheek-patch; often shows slight crest;
undertail-coverts yellow, longish tail with noticeable white tip. Juvenile has browner head than
adult. Rump can be pale, as in Red-vented Bulbul, with which it hybridises readily, the progeny
having variable intermediate characteristics including indistinct cheek-patch, dark spotting on
upper breast and orange undertail-coverts. Often makes flycatching sallies; gregarious. Voice Lively
bubbling jumble of notes, with simple repetitive tune; more musical than Red-vented, too-tiddly-
ooo; twee-ooo-wee-ooo and longer bubbling variations doo-widdly-iddly-wick. Habitat Woodland,
parks and gardens, urban and rural settings near human habitation. Note Native, but now widely
introduced in Arabia. [Formerly White-cheeked Bulbul P. leucogenys]Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer RB (E/I)
L: 22.5. Sooty-brown with black head, slight crest, and fine pale scalloping on upperparts and
breast; undertail-coverts red. In flight, reveals off-white rump (White-eared Bulbul’s rump rarely
as pale) and white tip to long blackish tail. Often makes flycatching sallies; gregarious. Voice Noisy;
calls bubbly or a burbling chatter and fairly loud, including typical pick-yow-you or pee-who. Habitat
As White-eared Bulbul, but intolerant of drier native wooded habitats. Note Not native; breeding
populations originate from escapes.White-spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthopygos RB
L: 19. Size of small slim thrush, often noisy, with rather floppy flight action. Drab with sooty-black
head shading into grey-brown upperparts and paler greyish underparts, with an obvious white
eye-ring. Tail rather long, dark brown without white tip; undertail-coverts yellow. Crown feathers
often slightly raised. Sociable, can occur in large groups. Voice Fluty and fitful, but rather loud
and obvious bli-bli-bli-bli or bul-bul-bul-bul-bul. Calls include a loud, rather harsh pwitch and trratsh.
Habitat Fruiting trees, gardens, palm groves, wadis with cover. Note Locally common native.
[Formerly Yellow-vented Bulbul]