Gould’s shortwing, Heteroxenicus stellatus (photo from Wikimedia)

28 August 2026

When I visit eBird’s website they always display a beautiful photo from Macaulay Library. Yesterday afternoon they presented the photo below of a gorgeous, meticulously detailed bird. Gould’s Shortwing (Heteroxenicus stellatus).

Notice the fine scallops on its breast and the tiny stars on its flanks. Its scientific species name, stellatus, means “starry” or “covered with stars.”

It is very unlikely I’ll ever see this bird because …

Gould’s Shortwing is found in the Himalayas (mainly Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Bhutan), Yunnan and northern parts of Myanmar and Vietnam. It breeds in the eastern Himalayas in rocky areas above the tree-line and winters at lower altitude in wooded valleys.

Its voice is so high (> 7,000Hz) that I cannot hear it.

Maybe you can hear him sing.