The Sumatran Whistling-thrush (Myophonus castaneus) is a passerine
 bird
belonging to the whistling-thrush genus Myophonus in the thrush family
Turdidae. It is endemic to the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. In the
past, it has often been lumped together with the Javan Whistling-thrush
(M. glaucinus) and Bornean Whistling-thrush (M. borneensis) as the "Sunda
Whistling-thrush" (M. glaucinus) but it is now often regarded as a
separate species based on differences in plumage and measurements. It is
also known as the Chestnut-winged Whistling-thrush or Brown-winged
Whistling-thrush.
It is about 25 centimetres long. The black bill has an average depth
of 7.3 millimetres, slenderer than the bills of the Bornean and Javan
Whistling-thrushes. The legs and feet are dark brown. The adult male has
a dark blue head, breast and shoulders with the rest of the plumage
being chestnut. The adult female and immature are mostly dull
chestnut-brown with a blue patch on the shoulder. The Bornean and Javan
Whistling-thrushes lack any chestnut coloration.
It has a loud whistling call and a harsh grating call.
It occurs in montane forest from 400 to 1500 metres above sea-level.
It is usually found near streams and typically keeps to the middle and
subcanopy layers of the forest. It is a scarce bird and is believed to
be declining as a result of deforestation. |
