Family Old World Flycatchers and Chats (Muscicapidae)
Least Concern
Blue Whistling-thrush (Myophonus caeruleus)
Taxonomy
French: Arrenga siffleur German: Purpurpfeifdrossel Spanish: Arrenga común
Taxonomy:
Gracula (caerulea
) Scopoli
, 1786,Canton, China
.Race flavirostris has been considered possibly to merit full species status, but basis for such a separation unclear. Birds from Tien Shan S to Pamirs described as race turcestanicus, but considered inseparable from temminckii. Six subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution
M. c. caeruleus
(Scopoli, 1786) – Black-billed Whistling-thrush – C & E China (from SE Gansu and E Sichuan, E to N Hebei and Zhejiang, S to Guangdong and Guangxi); non-breeding also S to E Myanmar, N Thailand, Laos and N Vietnam.
M. c. temminckii
Vigors, 1831 – #RW Tien Shan S to Afghanistan, and E through Himalayas and NE India to S China (E to N, W & SW Sichuan) and N & NE Myanmar; non-breeding at lower altitudes below breeding range.
M. c. eugenei
A. O. Hume, 1873 –
C, E & SE Myanmar, W, N & E Thailand, S China (C & S Yunnan and SW Guangxi)#R and N & C Indochina.
M. c. crassirostris
Robinson, 1910 – SE Thailand, Cambodia and Malay Peninsula (S to Kedah on W coast and Haadyai on E).
M. c. dichrorhynchus
Salvadori, 1879 – Malay Peninsula (S of Kedah and Pattani) and Sumatra.
M. c. flavirostris
(Horsfield, 1821) – Yellow-billed Whistling-thrush – Java.
Descriptive notes
29–35 cm; 136–231 g. Male nominate race is bluish-black, upper body to rump covered with metallic violet-blue spots, with concentration from forehead to crown... read more
Voice
Song, given all year, generally from tree or cliff, sometimes briefly in flight, is a long... read more
Habitat
Broadleaf evergreen and mixed deciduous forests and more open bush with scattered larger trees,... read more
Food and feeding
Invertebrates such as water beetles, ants and other hymenopterans, cockchafer larvae, dung beetles, slugs, snails, crabs, froglets,... read more
Breeding
Apr–Aug in N & W of range; Apr–Jul in Nepal; Feb–Apr in extreme S Myanmar, later in rest of country, with second... read more
Movements
Resident, but subject to vertical movements. In Himalayas winters mostly down to foothills, but in... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Common in most of range wherever watercourses present. In Afghanistan, one of commonest species along rivers and side-streams in Nuristan; familiar... read more
Feeding habits
One seen eating a gecko in Central Thailand.