Wednesday 13 December 2017

Alas! A Lifer On Langkawi Before 2018

It is always a personal achievement to spot a bird yourself and even better if that bird is a lifer. This is my latest lifer on Langkawi before 2017 ends.

From a far distance, what it looked like a shape of a bulbul and the head pattern of a Common Myna Acridotheres tristis has caught my attention. I quickly took a few shots of it from that distance. 
Cropped image of the unidentified bird.
It perched for about less than 15 seconds. Enough time for me to get a few shots to get a jizz of that bird and not enough time for me to get closer. It took off before I can even take one step forward. "A thrush?", this was what fluttered in my head. My heart was wishing it to be a Siberian Thrush Geokichla sibirica, a member of a thrush family which breeds in Siberia. My last time seeing a Siberian Thrush was in year 2008. 
Cropped image of this bird took off from its perch
Thank goodness it flew into the nearby tree and it was lower. I carefully walked behind the bush and took a peep. 
My heart was beating faster. It was still there. And here goes...click click click



A male Eyebrowed Thrush Turdus obscurus was foraging in the fruiting liana tree for a few minutes. A male of this Eyebrowed Thrush has grey hood, pale orange-rufous lower breast and flanks. He didn't stay long in the open. After less than five minutes, he disappeared into the foliage.  


Even though this species is considered as least concerned under the IUCN list, it is considered as a rare migrant for Langkawi. This species breeds in Palearctic and some parts of China. It is not a new record for this island, however, it is a new bird for me. One more to add onto my list of birds of Langkawi. A very nice treat on that Friday morning  and as well as other goodies too :)

Thank you for showing up, Mr Eyebrowed Thrush!
References:
1. Robson, Craig, A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia, New Holland, 2011,  pp 453 

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_thrush
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyebrowed_thrush 


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