Long-tailed Sibia (Heterophasia picaoides)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Heterophasia ("different speech") picaoides ("magpie like")

Adult Long-tailed Sibia (subspecies H. p. wrayi) at Genting Highlands, Malaysia - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Heterophasia picaoides wrayi
Weight: 40-46g  /  Length: 21-24cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Long-tailed Sibia is a member of the laughingthrush family though in person it has something of a magpie like quality with it's shape and movements.  It was the first species I encountered properly at Genting Highlands but while noisily feeding actively they also quite secretive and unwilling to show itself for more than a few moments.

Related Species:
ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Leiothrichidae
GENUS: Heterophasia
SUBSPECIES: H. p. picaoides, H. p. cana, H. p. wrayi, H. p simillima

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Rimba Ekor Panjang ("Jungle Long-tail")

A locally fairly common species.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: A pair seen in Genting Highlands

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto    .

Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush (Garrulax mitratus)

OTHER NAMES: Spectacled Laughingthrush

Latin Etymology: Garrulax ("talkative/chattering") mitratus ("turbaned/bonnetted")

Adult Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush (subspecies G. m. major) in Genting Highlands - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Garrulax mitratus major
Weight: ?  /  Length: 23cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

This picture sums up pretty much the general problems I had with my camera trying to photograph species in the jungles of the Genting Highlands - a bright day with dappled light causing shutter speeds to be wildly inappropriate while a bird is only visible for a fraction of a second before it vanished entirely.  Here however, we at least have a bit to go on - a grey body with a strogn white wing-bar, a chestnut coloured cap (as the name suggests) and a yellow bill. A species of mountain forests, a very brief view was all I got.  Despite the name, the laughingthrushes are not particularly related to classical thrushes,

Related Species:
ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Leiothrichidae
GENUS: Garrulax
SUBSPECIES: G. m. major, G. m. mitratus

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA -  Malay: Rimba Mata Putih ("Jungle White-eye")

A locally common resident of highland mountain forests.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: A single bird seen for a few seconds in Genting Highlands

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto   .