Thrush Cameron Highlands Malaysia (1 Viewer)

[Steve.Jonesy]

Hi is this a blue whistling thrush?
Doesn’t seem blue so really unsure
Many thanks on any guidance
Pic taken end of Jan in Brinchang

 

[Butty]

Doesn’t seem blue

Surprising comment. I'd call the colour purple-blue - like a blue whistling-thrush is.

 

[Larry Sweetland]

I think it's Blue Whistling Thrush. The local subspecies is quite small iirc, and invites confusion with Malayan Whistling Thrush (which I seem to remember hearing might not even occur in the Cameron highlands)

 

[Steve.Jonesy]

I think it's Blue Whistling Thrush. The local subspecies is quite small iirc, and invites confusion with Malayan Whistling Thrush (which I seem to remember hearing might not even occur in the Cameron highlands)

Thanks Larry👍

Surprising comment. I'd call the colour purple-blue - like a blue whistling-thrush is.

fair point

 

[Steve.Jonesy]

Surprising comment. I'd call the colour purple-blue - like a blue whistling-thrush is.

I guess I felt it was less vibrant! I was hoping it could be the endemic bird, the Malaysian whistling Thrush described as…
Dark bluish thrush-like bird. Found solely in the highlands of peninsular Malaysia. Lacks “spangled” look of Blue Whistling-Thrush. Found in hilly or montane forests, where it favours wet stony areas around streams or gullies.
I photo’d it next to a stream in Montane forest!

 

[andyb39]

I th

I think it's Blue Whistling Thrush. The local subspecies is quite small iirc, and invites confusion with Malayan Whistling Thrush (which I seem to remember hearing might not even occur in the Cameron highlands)

I think it has been found there but I may be wrong. The race you mentioned is dichrorhyncus, which as you say is smaller and can look quite matt blackish , without much in the way of spangling- see this image taken at Fraser's Hill: ML244720331 Blue Whistling-Thrush Macaulay Library. I suspect the apparently large, slightly hooked bill, deep gape and brown tones on the wing, a bit like on this bird - ML531024321 Blue Whistling-Thrush Macaulay Library - point to Blue Whistling-Thrush. The habitat sounds OK for either. @Steve.Jonesy What was the elevation, roughly?

 

[Steve.Jonesy]

I th

I think it has been found there but I may be wrong. The race you mentioned is dichrorhyncus, which as you say is smaller and can look quite matt blackish , without much in the way of spangling- see this image taken at Fraser's Hill: ML244720331 Blue Whistling-Thrush Macaulay Library. I suspect the apparently large, slightly hooked bill, deep gape and brown tones on the wing, a bit like on this bird - ML531024321 Blue Whistling-Thrush Macaulay Library - point to Blue Whistling-Thrush. The habitat sounds OK for either. @Steve.Jonesy What was the elevation, roughly?

We were in a village called Brinchang at around 1500m walking up a small river

 

[Larry Sweetland]

I th

I think it has been found there but I may be wrong. The race you mentioned is dichrorhyncus, which as you say is smaller and can look quite matt blackish , without much in the way of spangling- see this image taken at Fraser's Hill: ML244720331 Blue Whistling-Thrush Macaulay Library. I suspect the apparently large, slightly hooked bill, deep gape and brown tones on the wing, a bit like on this bird - ML531024321 Blue Whistling-Thrush Macaulay Library - point to Blue Whistling-Thrush. The habitat sounds OK for either. @Steve.Jonesy What was the elevation, roughly?

My comment about Malayan perhaps not occurring there comes from a comment on the subject I recall from more than a decade ago (I think by James Eaton), but for all I know it may have been found there (reliably) since 🤷.