Dear Birding Aussers
As you are all getting excited about the Blue Rock Thrush, I thought I'd
just let you know that in the forthcoming Oriental Bird Club Bulletin, a
special on Sri Lanka, there is a reproduction of a plate painted by Tim
Worfolk from the forthcoming Oxford University Press field guide to Sri
Lanka.
(Alan McBride and Richard Noske are the OBC representatives in Australia, so
if you want more info about the Club, get in touch with one of them, or
drop me a line!)
On this plate you will find illustrations of female, male winter and male
spring plumages, together with several other thrush species and Indian
Pitta.
The race of this species occurring in Sri Lanka (and indeed all the races
of this species occurring in Europe) has blue underparts. Some of the
eastern races have reddish underparts. There is a (much prettier) species,
the Rock Thrush which occurs in Europe and is a summer migrant, wintering
in Africa. This species has Orange underparts and tail with a white rump.
It has occurred about a dozen times in the UK as a vagrant (even I've seen
three here!). Blue Rock Thrush on the other hand, although occurring in
similar mountainous regions in Europe is essentially sedentary and has
never occurred acceptably in the UK as a wild bird.
The races of Blue Rock Thrush that occur further east are however migratory
. I don't know whether these are only the races with reddish underparts:
this could have a bearing on whether the Noosa bird is considered to be
wild - has it got reddish or bluish underparts??
In addition to records of Blue Rock Thrush in Papua New Guinea, I know that
Steve Smith also recorded this species in Indonesian New Guniea (Irian Jaya
) in 1992. Since it occurs in New Guinea as a vagrant, I see no reason at
all why one shouldn't overshoot a bit and end up in Noosa! So if you are
into Aussie listing, I'd make sure you go and see it!!
Good Birding to all from a wintery and freezing cold UK
Richard Thomas
Oriental Bird Club Bulletin Editor
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