Malaysian Birds - Pale Blue Flycatcher

 

Size & diagnostic markings:- 17 Cm. The bird can grow beyond 17 cm making it one the couple of large Flycatchers. This is a fairly common resident appearing in the same habitats as the Verditer Flycatcher. First point would be to tell the physical differences between the 2 birds. The upper part of the bird in pale turquoise while the under part has the same color but a shade lighter. The color on this bird is not shinning. The color at the throat is again one shade lower than the overall color almost gray. This bird and the Verditer Flycatcher is told apart by the shade of blue and the black in front of the eye.

Distribution :-  The bird is from north-eastern India and south western China, then the Greater Sundas

Habitats & preferences:- This bird is usually a sub-montane forest bird

This is a bulky Flycatcher at 17 cm larger and more prominent than most Flycatchers. This is one of the 2 Flycatchers with that distinctive pale blue hue, the other being the Verditer Flycatcher. When it comes to describing the shades of blue, the series of pictures shown here varies substantially. That was the way how the camera recorded the scenes and also the same way how the pair of eyes of each individual see the subject.

The way to distinguish between the 2 birds is the Pale Blue Flycatcher do not have the black lores around the eyes.

This origin of this bird was traced to the Indian sub-continent and the  Greater Sundas and is now a fairly common resident in peninsula Malaysia. This is a forest bird of the lowlands and mountain with sub-montane climates and more often seen in the highlands. The bird prefers the middle storey of low and tall trees, that sometimes could place its perch rather high up from the ground. Very common in Fraser's Hills and most hill resorts. As for lowland forest, seen them a few times in Perdik.

Pale blue Flycatcher's picture No. 1

Pale blue Flycatcher's picture No. 2

Pale blue Flycatcher's picture No. 3

Pale blue Flycatcher's picture No. 4

Pale blue Flycatcher's picture No. 5

Pale blue Flycatcher's picture No. 6

Pale blue Flycatcher's picture No. 7

Pale blue Flycatcher's picture No. 8

Pale blue Flycatcher's picture No. 9

 Pale blue Flycatcher's picture No.10

Pale blue Flycatcher's picture No. 11

Pale blue Flycatcher's picture No. 12

Pale blue Flycatcher's picture No. 13

This Flycatcher prefers real forest with little human activities. Though much has been said that it is a bird preferring cold climate, the bird was seen several times in the dense lowland forest. More of the times seen in Fraser's Hills.

 

 

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