Whistling-thrush

The whistling-thrushes comprise a genus Myophonus (Myiophoneus ) of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.

They are all medium-sized mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds. 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:


 * Sri Lanka Whistling-Thrush, Myophonus blighi, found on Sri Lanka
 * Shiny Whistling-Thrush, Myophonus melanurus, Sumatra
 * Brown-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
 * Taiwan Whistling-Thrush, Myophonus insularis, Taiwan
 * Blue Whistling-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.