Whistling thrush
Encyclopedia
The whistling-thrushes comprise a genus
Myophonus (Myiophoneus) of the thrush
family Turdidae.
They are all medium-sized mostly insectivorous or omnivorous bird
s. They are all brightly coloured species found in India
and southeast Asia
. The male is usually blue, and the females are either similar to the male or brown.
The brighter blue patches found on the shoulders and sometimes the head, of whistling thrushes, uniquely for a passerine, reflect strongly in the ultraviolet
.
Many of the species are confined to single islands or countries.
Species:
Javan, Bornean and Chestnut-winged were formerly lumped as Sunda Whistling-thrush, but split by Collar (2004).
The nests are usually in crevices of rocks and boulders close to water. The cup nests have moss and twigs and is lined with roots and leaves. The eggs are usually three and sometimes four, elongate with a gray ground colour and marked with speckles.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Myophonus (Myiophoneus) of the thrush
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
family Turdidae.
They are all medium-sized mostly insectivorous or omnivorous bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s. They are all brightly coloured species found in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and southeast Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. The male is usually blue, and the females are either similar to the male or brown.
The brighter blue patches found on the shoulders and sometimes the head, of whistling thrushes, uniquely for a passerine, reflect strongly in the ultraviolet
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
.
Many of the species are confined to single islands or countries.
Species:
- Sri Lanka Whistling-thrush, Myophonus blighi, found on Sri Lanka
- Shiny Whistling-thrushShiny Whistling-thrushThe Shiny Whistling-thrush is a species of bird in the Turdidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:...
, Myophonus melanurus, Sumatra - Chestnut-winged Whistling-thrush, Myophonus castaneus, Sumatra
- Javan Whistling-thrush Myophonus glaucinus, Java
- Bornean Whistling-thrush Myophonus borneensis, Borneo
- Malayan Whistling-thrush, Myophonus robinsoni, peninsular Malaysia
- Malabar Whistling-thrush, Myophonus horsfieldii, peninsular India
- Formosan Whistling-thrushFormosan Whistling-thrushThe Formosan Whistling-thrush also known as the Taiwan Whistling-Thrush is a species of bird in the Turdidae family.It is endemic to Taiwan.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:...
or Taiwan Whistling-thrush, Myophonus insularis, Taiwan - Blue Whistling-thrushBlue Whistling-thrushThe Blue Whistling-thrush is a species of thrush in the family Turdidae. At 178 grams and 33 cm , it is believed to be the world's largest species of thrush...
, Myophonus caeruleus, from Central Asia east to China and south to the Sundas
Javan, Bornean and Chestnut-winged were formerly lumped as Sunda Whistling-thrush, but split by Collar (2004).
Habits
Whistling Thrushes are mostly seen in hilly areas except during winter when they may descend to streams near the plains. They specialize in feeding on snails and their strong hooked bills are used to deal with them. They may choose a particular rock on which they crack the shells.The nests are usually in crevices of rocks and boulders close to water. The cup nests have moss and twigs and is lined with roots and leaves. The eggs are usually three and sometimes four, elongate with a gray ground colour and marked with speckles.