Edolisoma ceramense
The Pale Cicadabird (Edolisoma ceramense) is a sleek, medium-sized passerine belonging to the cuckooshrike family (Campephagidae), known for its striking sexual dimorphism. Males are predominantly a uniform pale grey, approximately 20-22 cm in length, with darker primary flight feathers and a subtly paler abdomen, often appearing unpatterned and somewhat cryptic against the forest canopy. Females, however, present a stark contrast, exhibiting warm brown upperparts, finely barred underparts ra...
Primarily inhabits lowland to montane evergreen and deciduous forests, including forest edges and secondary growth, at elevations typically from sea level up to 1,500 meters.
Feeds predominantly on insects, including cicadas, caterpillars, beetles, and other arthropods, which it gleans from foliage and bark in the forest canopy.
The Pale Cicadabird is a diurnal, arboreal insectivore, often observed singly or in pairs, quietly foraging in the forest canopy and mid-story. Its foraging strategy primarily involves gleaning insects, such as caterpillars, beetles, and indeed cicadas, from foliage and branches with deliberate, ...
The Pale Cicadabird is endemic to the Maluku Islands (Moluccas) of eastern Indonesia, with its primary distribution centered on the large islands of Seram and Buru. Resident populations are also found on smaller satellite islands surrounding these main landmasses, including Ambon, Saparua, and th...
Least Concern
- The "Cicadabird" common name is a direct reference to their distinctive, often buzzing or trilling calls, which can sound remarkably similar to the insects they often prey upon. - Males and females of the Pale Cicadabird are so dramatically different in appearance that they were historically so...