Whistling-Thrushes in Borneo, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Sumatra & Thailand| Birding in Asia

Whistling-Thrushes in Borneo, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Sumatra & Thailand| Birding in Asia

I have photographed  Whistling Thrushes in India Thailand & Sri Lanka. When I first posted the story in the discussion group, I did not expect for it to expand into a larger geographical region. But it did. Thanks to Liew WK and Weefar Wee who have contributed their images on the endemic whistling-thrushes from different regions in Asia. Now it seems that two more whistling thrushes (Javan Whistling-thrush and Taiwan Whistling-thrush) will complete the list.

Blue Whistling-thrush

Let’s start from Blue Whistling-thrush common in many areas. However, whistling-thrushes could also be endemic to the specific locations such as the Sri Lanka Whistling-thrush and the Malabar Whistling-thrush.The Blue Whistling-thrush can be found in Peninsular Malaysia ,Southern and Northern Thailand including northern India. Common resident and winter visitor from lowland to high elevation.

The same species is also found in Northern Thailand near Doi Inthanon

Blue Whistling-thrush ( Myiophoneous caeruleus )
North Thailand @ Doi Inthanon National Park.

In the island of Sri Lanka, I found the Ceylon Whistling-thrush  Myophonus blight (20 cm). It is an endemic and endangered species only found between 1000-2000 m near Nuwara Eliya. You must go there early to photograph this bird before 9:00 am.

Finally, one of the most commonly seen in southern India is the Malabar Whistling-thrush Myophonus horsfieldii (25 cm) in the Western Ghats. When it whistles in the early morning or late afternoon, it is so melodious with very rich tunes. I photographed this bird in Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka ,India.

Malabar Whistling-thrush

Malabar Whistling thrush Myophonus horsfieldii

Through the group discussion in Facebook, Liew WK had contributed two valuable images to the topic of Whistling-thrush in Asia from the island of Borneo and peninsular Malaysia.

Here is a Bornean Whistling-thrush  endemic to Borneo. Myophonus borneensis, 25 cm. Common in hills and montain forest in the vicinity of rocky cliffs and rocky streams. Photo by Liew WK.

The Whistling-thrush below is the Malaysian Whistling-thrush, Myophonus robinson, from the peninsular Malaysia. Photo curtesy of Liew WK. Found at small streams in closed canopy forest especially in deep gullies between 760-1770m above sea leavel.

From the same group discussion in Facebook, Weefar Wee chipped-in two valuable images on the Shiny Whistling-thrush and Brown-winged Whisling-thrush (also known as Sumatra Whistling-thrush ) from the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Here they are :