Sangihe Whistler

The Sangihe whistler is a chunky, thick-billed songbird with a subdued appearance. Its upperparts are dark olive-brown, the head is greyer and the underparts have a pale buff wash. The bill is pale with a contrasting dark tip, a useful distinction from the yellow-faced and yellow-throated Sangihe golden-bulbul. It has also been called the Sangihe shrikethrush, Sangir whistler and Sahengbalira shrike-thrush (eBird/Merlin and Wikipedia general species accounts).

This island endemic is associated with the canopy of tall, mature hill forest where full cover remains along ridges. Birds are usually encountered in pairs or small groups. The loud song contains about four repeated phrases, and shorter vocalisations include a churr and a sharp wit. Taxonomically it was first described in Pinarolestes, later placed in Colluricincla and transferred to Coracornis in 2013. The sources opened provide no dependable food or breeding information (eBird/Merlin and Wikipedia general species accounts).