Blyth's or Amur Paradise Flycatcher? -Singapore (1 Viewer)

[SeeToh]

Shot this Paradise Flycatcher at a wooded patch in Singapore.

It is clearly a female Asian Paradise Flycatcher. However, with the recent spilt of this species into 3 different species, is this a Blyth's or Amur Paradise Flycatcher? The 3 photos are of the same bird.

Blyth's Paradise Flycatcher is a resident breeder in Malaysia and Thailand which occurs in Singapore as a non-breeding visitor while the Amur is common winter visitor from East Asia.

 

[Bryon Wright]

See Toh,
has blown some cobwebs away, here . I personally always get seduced by other peoples postings on paradise-flycatcher, especially stunning digital images, I always think yes, I am convinced. I know Japanese occurs in Borneo for instance because I have seen a dead, adult male. When I borrowed a tray from a museum years ago I was daunted by the variation contained within, from Oman to Isthmus of Kra.

 

[viator]

As Byron says variation immense - this one I can talk myself into being any of the possibilities!

 

[SeeToh]

A good resource to differentiate the former apfc is The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula Vols 1 & 2 by David Wells.

In this great resource, Wells expounded ssp. Indochinensis, Affinis and Incei. The first two ssp. is now Blyth's Paradise Flycatcher and the third ssp. is Amur Paradise Flycatcher.

The features of this bird fit nicely with Wells' illustration for ssp Indochinensis.

 

[James Eaton]

Given the lack of strong demarkation from upper breast to belly we should be able to rule out incei so I would say it is most likely an indochinensis also.

James

 

[SeeToh]

Managed to shoot a very tame Paradise Flycatcher today. When compared with the illustrations of the Asian Paradise Flycatchers in David Wells's The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, I am convinced it belongs to ssp Indochinensis. This ssp is classified as Blyth's Paradise Flycatcher in the recent spilt.

 

[viator]

Think you're right See Toh