Nilgiri Thrush
Zoothera neilgherriensis
Chunky brown thrush with a long bill and “scaled” plumage; very similar to other members of the Scaly Thrush complex, but ranges do not overlap. Forages on the ground singly in dense shaded foothill forest, usually in wet areas such as near streams or gullies. Song is composed of widely spaced ringing, chirping, and buzzing phrases.
Identification
The sexes are similar, 27–31 cm long, with black scaling on a paler white or yellowish background. The most striking identification feature in flight is the black band on the white underwings, a feature shared with Siberian thrush. The male has a song which is a loud, far-carrying mechanical whistle, with 5-10 second pauses between each one second long phrase twee...tuuu....tuuu....tuuu.<p>It was previously considered a subspecies of the scaly thrush.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Zoothera neilgherriensis
- Authority
- (Blyth, 1847)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Turdidae
- Genus
- Zoothera
Range and habitat
The Nilgiri thrush is endemic to the Western Ghats. It is largely restricted to the sholas, isolated cloud forests found in high altitudes that are separated by rolling montane grassland. It is also rarely found in roadways on rainy days. It feeds on insects and is an opportunistic insectivore. The thrush stays on the terrestrial lower canopy of the moist shola ecosystem. The scaled pattern of this species gives it a protective side of camouflage in terrestrial understory of the forest. Habitat extent is distributed throughout the moist shola forests in the region.
Photos
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Black Wheatear
Oenanthe leucura
Distinctive large, dark wheatear with a strong bill. Males are largely all black except for a white tail, rump, and vent. The tail has a black center and terminal band. Females are similar, but browner. Normally encountered foraging on the ground in rocky areas with steep slopes. Shy and typically flies uphill when flushed. Song is a pleasant warble, sometimes with a buzzy or trilled element. Calls include a smooth whistle “eee eee.”
Thick-billed Berrypecker
Melanocharis crassirostris
A small, rare bird of mid-montane forest. Male is dark gray above and pale gray below with a slight, pale tuft on the side. Females are dark above with heavy white spotting; also note streaked pale belly and olive-edged flight feathers. Male is similar to female Mid-mountain and Fan-tailed Berrypeckers but is longer-billed and shorter-tailed. Female is similar to Mottled Berryhunter but is much smaller. Call is a thin, high-pitch “tsiip.”
Black-tailed Treecreeper
Climacteris melanurus
Distinctive very dark bird with large feet, most often seen running up and down the sides of trees in dry forest, savanna, and moist lowland forest of northern Australia, where it is the only treecreeper species. Uniformly rich, dark brown, almost black, with white streaks on the throat. In flight. shows bold tan wingbars. The western subspecies (wellsi) has reddish-brown underparts. Call is a slow, repeated "pip pip pip," usually followed by a fast trill of the same note.
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