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Cacomantis merulinus

Photo by Dr Manjeet Singh
Location: Mud-flats and pond, Pandamaran-jaya, P. Klang, Malaysia.

Identification

This bird has a pale grey head, throat and upper breast, rufous buff lower breast. Its mantle and wings are dark brown. The tail has white markings on the side. 22 cm.

Photo of juvenile by: chrisli
Location: Singapore, September, 2009

Distribution

India, southern China through Southeast Asia to the Greater Sundas, and Sulawesi. Resident in Malaysia.

Taxonomy

Subspecies^[1]

• C.m.passerinus India and Pakistan; winters to Sri Lanka
• C.m.querulus E Himalayas to s China, Myanmar, Malay Pen. and Indochina
• C.m.threnodes S Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo
• C.m.lanceolatus Java, Sulawesi and Togian Islands
• C.m.merulinus Philippine Islands

Habitat

Found in the forest edge, scrub and plantations frequenting the crown of tall trees.

Behaviour

It catches insects on the ground. Very vocal with it typical 3 note whistle followed by a rapidly descending sequence of slurred whistling notes.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.

External Links

• View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages