Malayan Whistling-Thrush

About the Malayan Whistling-Thrush

The Malayan whistling thrush or Malaysian whistling-thrush (Myophonus robinsoni) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the Malay Peninsula. Due primarily to habitat loss, its population is thought to be in decline.

The Malayan whistling thrush was collected by H. C. Robinson and described as Myiophoneus robinsoni by William Robert Ogilvie-Grant in 1905. The specific name is derived from Robinson's surname. Its natural habitat is montane forests. It is usually found near streams. It is situated at elevations of about 750–1,750 m (2,460–5,740 ft) in central peninsular Malaysia. The Malayan whistling thrush historically ranged from the Cameron Highlands to the Genting Highlands. It was present in the Cameron Highlands, where it was trapped in the 1950s and 1960s, but a further survey in 2009–2010 failed to find it there, bringing into question the reliability of intermediate sightings; it is possible that there may have been confusion with the subspecies dicrorhynchus of the blue whistling thrush (Myophonus caeruleus). Since 1980, it has been trapped and recorded with certainty only in Fraser's Hill. Wikipedia →