Freckle-breasted Thornbird
Phacellodomus striaticollis
The spot-breasted thornbird is 16 to 20 cm (6.3 to 7.9 in) long and weighs about 24 to 27 g (0.85 to 0.95 oz). It is a medium-sized thornbird. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have an indistinct light brownish supercilium that extends beyond the eye and a very narrow dark brown stripe behind the eye on an otherwise light brownish face. Their crown is brownish chestnut with whitish spots, their back dull reddish brown, and their rump and uppertail coverts a slightly paler reddish brown. Voice: The freckle-breasted thornbird's song "starts with one to several ascending low notes, sometimes hesitating, followed by 3–4 loud, shrill descending monotonic notes that end abruptly, 'psep, psep, psep-kleek, kleek, kleek' ". Its alarm call is "a series of squeaky ticking notes".
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Greater Thornbird
Phacellodomus ruber
The greater thornbird is 19 to 21 cm (7.5 to 8.3 in) long and weighs about 35 to 51 g (1.2 to 1.8 oz). It is heaviest and reddest thornbird. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a mostly rufescent brown to grayish brown face with a paler supercilium and ear coverts and a whitish malar area. Their crown is reddish chestnut with pale streaks, their back rich reddish brown to olive-brown that sometimes becomes chestnut on the lower back, their rump a lighter rufescent brown, and their uppertail coverts chestnut. Voice: The greater thornbird's song is a "series of up to 20 loud, sharp, resounding notes, starting very high and explosive, thereafter slightly accelerating and gradually descending". Rendered in words it is "poo tew tew tew too too tootootoochoochew". Pairs often sing in duet. Its calls include a "loud, high 'djeub-djeb-djebdjed' " and "sharp 'check check' and 'chweet'.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where you might meet both
Learn this pair in the BeakBrain App
Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.
Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Freckle-breasted Thornbird and Greater Thornbird.