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Blue Whistling Thrush or Chinese Blackbird, Jiangsu,East of China (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter deanman
- Start date
Thanks FERN, it's Juv. Blue Whistling-thrush?
Perhaps: neck spangles not developed
johnallcock
Well-known member
It looks more like a Chinese Blackbird to me, a first winter male that has not yet developed the yellow bill & eyering. The breast pattern fits for this, with pale scaling on the throat and breast. I would expect a Blue Whistling Thrush to have more spangled head/breast/upperparts with pale spots on wing coverts. It also looks structurally more like a blackbird, not as dumpy as a whistling thrush. The moult contrast between retained primaries and newer greater coverts would also fit a blackbird better than a whistling thrush.
I do find this a confusing bird though, more so than I'd expect for these species. I get the impression that the colour tones may be slightly off on the photo, with blue tones slightly enhanced, which may be one reason it looks like a whistling thrush.
I do find this a confusing bird though, more so than I'd expect for these species. I get the impression that the colour tones may be slightly off on the photo, with blue tones slightly enhanced, which may be one reason it looks like a whistling thrush.
Thanks Johnallcock, Yes. when I take a photo of the camera screen via mobile, the color more blue. And most young Chinese Blackbird that I saw before has more white breast than this one. So I confused it about it for only one photo got and fly away.
Unless there is some urgency, it's always much better (for poster and for those trying to help) to delay posting until you can post the actual photo - not a photo of a photo displayed on a small screen. No offence.
Thanks Butty, This photo is from computer via camera file. Tks.
Butty - I really think you need to stop doing this. You seem to have developed some neurosis that requires making this kind of comment even on threads where you have nothing else to contribute.
The OP said:
He didn't say that the photos in the original post were 'camera screen via mobile' but that 'when' = 'if' he does this, then the result is less good.
Please read carefully and then think for a few minutes before posting on photo quality.
I'm taking the liberty of posting this comment (no offence™) because I myself think that sometimes people could/should have adjusted their photos (e.g. for lighting) more before they posted, as you do. But I still think you should pay more attention before commenting like this.
Thanks MacNara, Adjusted the photo is difficult to show the correct the color of bird in different light. You may check the jpg file of my camera (no adjust). My confusions are 1. body look blue than black, 2. Bill &eyering is not yellow 3. If this bird is a juv. Chinese blackbird, the breast is not white than I saw before. So I'm not sure it's a Chinese blackbird from Juv. to Adult or a Juv.Blue Whistling Thrush. Frankly speaking Chinese Blackbird is normal here but I never noted type before. Maybe I lack of notice for this normal bird. I also checked the photo about Blue Whistling Thrush, but no more photo find for juv. Thanks.
It's an interesting discussion (the bit about the actual bird, that is). I guess I bow to johnalcock with his more detailed analysis. I tried (and +/- failed) to find similar Macauley images of Chinese blackbird but I similarly failed to find really convincing blue whistling-thrush pics. I thought the marks we could see were incipient spangles but perhaps they're not. Structurally I couldn't see much between them with similar images of both (if correctly identified)
Joern Lehmhus
Well-known member
I have seen both species last in 2019 in province Shaanxi, and I would agree on Chinese blackbird, young male. In addition to what John said oit also doesn´t look strongbilled enough for me for a Blue whistling thrush.
also when I look at the bamboo cane it is sitting on , that also seems to have a blueish color cast ...
also when I look at the bamboo cane it is sitting on , that also seems to have a blueish color cast ...
Clearly correct. Were it not for this blue cast, which presumably affects the whole photo, I don't think this bird would ever have been considered for blue whistling thrush. The structure is very Turdus. In the originally-posted photos, the crop/framing is such that it's not even clear that the perch is bamboo, so there was no way of knowing what colour it might be in reality.
