Wildlifeof Vietnam
Blue Whistling Thrush
Thrushes, Chats & Flycatchers
Photo: Shiv's fotografia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Myophonus caeruleus
Rare visitor: recorded only occasionally in this country
Basic stats
Diet
Snails, crabs, insects and fruit, foraged on the ground along streams and in damp places
Habitat
Mountains of Central Asia, South Asia, China and Southeast Asia
Range
Along the Himalaya east to northern Burma; also Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan and widely in Southeast Asia
Clutch size
Usually 3–4 eggs; sometimes a second brood
Size
29–35cm
Weight
136–231g
The blue whistling thrush is the largest species in the Old World flycatcher family, 29 to 35cm long and weighing 136 to 231g across subspecies. It is dark violet blue with shiny pale blue to white spangling on the tips of the body feathers, white spots on the median coverts, and black inner webs on the flight and tail feathers; the sexes are similar. It is known for its loud, human-like whistling song at dawn and dusk (Wikipedia, general species account).
It feeds on the ground, often along streams and in damp places, for snails, crabs, insects and fruit, turning over leaves and small stones and cocking its head. It is active well after dusk, and in the breeding season, April to August, it sings in the darkness of dawn and dusk; the alarm call is a shrill 'kree'. The usual clutch is three or four eggs, with a second brood sometimes raised.
Quick answers
- What does the Blue Whistling Thrush eat?
- Snails, crabs, insects and fruit, foraged on the ground along streams and in damp places
- What habitat does the Blue Whistling Thrush live in?
- Mountains of Central Asia, South Asia, China and Southeast Asia
- Where is the Blue Whistling Thrush found?
- Along the Himalaya east to northern Burma; also Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan and widely in Southeast Asia
- How many eggs does the Blue Whistling Thrush lay?
- Usually 3–4 eggs; sometimes a second brood
- How big is the Blue Whistling Thrush?
- 29–35cm
- How much does the Blue Whistling Thrush weigh?
- 136–231g