Of North Borneo Birds and others

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Mountian Blackeye - Borneo Endemic

Mountain Blackeye Chlorocharis emiliae is one of the commonest birds in the upper montane scrubs near the tree line on Kinabalu. It is a plain olive-green bird, with slightly paler underparts, with a black loral line expanding to fully encircle the eye to behind the eye, bordered with bright yellowish green, hence its common name.

Four different subspecies have been described, one of them being found only on Kinabalu and the others also also having fairly restricted distributions. the four races are a) C. e. emiliae with the underparts dark green on Kinabalu only; b) C. e. trinitae, with the underparts pale green to yellowish on Gunung Trus Madi; c) C. e. fusciceps with the underparts yellow and crown sepia on the Maga mountains; d) C. e. moultoni, much yellower from the Tama Abo Range , Gunung Mulu and Gunung Pueh.

This photo is taken in Gunung Alab, next to Rafflesia Forest Reserve, I do not know what race it is but the location is nearer to Gunung Trus Madi than to Kinabalu, so I presume it is C. e. trinitae.

This following is taken in Kinabalu Park, Timpohon Gate, so it must be of the race C. e. emiliae.

Happy birding.

Photodocument of Wild Birds of Borneo

Standard References for my blog

Monday, September 27, 2010

Chestnut-hooded laughingthrush - Borneo Endemic

Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush Rhinocichla treacheri is an abundant and common endemic of the montane forests of Borneo.

It occurs commonly in flocks at Kinabalu Park Headquarters, along all the trails there, also at Masilau. It is also common in Rafflesia Forest Reserve around Rafflesia Information Centre. Of all the three laughingthrushes in Borneo, which are incidentally all montane, this is the most likely to be seen. Often foraging in mixed feeding flocks working their way in the lower and middle storeys of the forest. Sometimes can be approached closely as they work busily through the thick growth of ferns or hushes along the disturbed edge of the forest.

Previously as Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush Garrulax mitratus, with G. m. treacheri in Sabah, G. m. griswoldi (richer chestnut on undertail coverts) on G. Timbang, Sabah and G. m. damnatus (less streaking on duller breast) elsewhere in Borneo.

Collar, N. J. & Robson, C. in Handbook of the Birds of the World, 12 (2007), split this from Rhinocichla (Garrulax) mitratus, the justification was: 'differs from ... mitratus in having narial feathering, lores and superciliary area slightly paler, clearer chestnut, eyering only on lower and rear edge of eye and bright yellow (not white), chestnut of ear-coverts extending toward nape, feathers of forecrown greayer, upper malar and chin chestnut, upperparts purer grey, underparts paler ochrous with vague pale shaft streaks,' with some evidence that song in treacheri consists of more notes.