Abyssinian Thrush

A round-bodied, short-tailed, long-legged terrestrial bird with a red belly. Broad, iridescent blue chest band is bordered with thick black lines. Reddish-brown crown shows an indistinct blue line. Also shows paler brown cheeks and green upperparts. Juvenile is brown with a pale bill base and gray eyes. Singles or pairs forage on forest floor in lowlands and foothills. Unmistakable in limited range on Sulawesi and adjacent islands. Song is a drawn-out, two-part whistle with a longer, trembling first note followed by a falling, mournful note: “waaaaaaaop-wooowow,” as is typical of the genus.

A diminutive but stout and large-headed relative of the laughingthrushes. Brownish-gray with bright orange highlights on its wing feathers and a faint yellow eyebrow which curves down into a weak crescent behind the ear. Like a laughingthrush, tends to stick to the understory in thickets, dense bamboo clusters, and thick secondary growth in mid-elevational areas. Not extremely social; often seen singly, occasionally in small flocks.

Typical blue flycatcher; male is bright blue above and orange below, while female is grayish-brown above with a light orange suffusion on her pale belly. Breeds in eastern Himalayan foothill forests and winters in more open habitat in lowlands of Thai-Malay peninsula. Combination of orange throat, long broad bill, and extensive orange on underparts (stretching from the throat down to the belly) serve to distinguish male from other similar species. Dull female is lighter-colored and has a paler throat than similar Chinese Blue-Flycatcher. Closely related Hill Blue Flycatcher is extremely similar and identification may be safer when based on range; visually, look for Large Blue’s slightly larger bill with a more pronounced hooked tip, paler throat in relation to the chest, and paler pinkish legs. Gives a high, sweet song with harsh rattling notes interspersed; averages longer than similar song of Hill Blue Flycatcher.