Slaty-backed Flycatcher Did you see this animal?
Scientific Name : Myophonus caeruleus
Family : Muscicapidae
Order : Passeriformes
Class : Aves
Phylum : Chordata
Habitat : Evergreen forest
Description : Slaty-backed Flycatcher is a slender flycatcher of hilly and mountain forests. Male is slate blue-gray above and orange below; it is duller and darker than male blue flycatchers and lacks the wing bars of the stockier male Mugimaki Flycatcher. Female is dull brown with a faint tan wash to the upper breast and rufous tones on the tail; like the male, lacks wing bars. As with many other forest flycatchers, Slaty-backed usually sallies out to forage in clearings, edges, and near trails, typically at middle levels of the forest. The blue whistling thrush is commonly seen either alone or in pairs. It moves by hopping on rocks and darts around in quick bursts. To search for prey, it flips over leaves and small stones, tilting its head to check for any signs of movement. When startled, it spreads its tail and lowers it. These birds remain active even after dusk, and during the breeding season (April to August), they tend to sing in the dim light of dawn and dusk when most other birds are silent. Their calls are most prominent before sunrise, especially in November.
When alarmed, the blue whistling thrush emits a shrill "kree" sound. For nesting, they create a cup-shaped structure using moss and roots, which they place in a ledge or hollow near a stream. Typically, their nests contain 3 to 4 eggs, and sometimes the pair raises a second brood. Their diet includes fruits, earthworms, insects, crabs, and snails. Before consuming snails and crabs, they often strike them against rocks. In captivity, they have been observed killing and consuming mice, and in the wild, they have been documented preying on small birds. They primarily feed on the ground, particularly along streams and in moist areas, where they search for snails, crabs, fruits, and insects.
When alarmed, the blue whistling thrush emits a shrill "kree" sound. For nesting, they create a cup-shaped structure using moss and roots, which they place in a ledge or hollow near a stream. Typically, their nests contain 3 to 4 eggs, and sometimes the pair raises a second brood. Their diet includes fruits, earthworms, insects, crabs, and snails. Before consuming snails and crabs, they often strike them against rocks. In captivity, they have been observed killing and consuming mice, and in the wild, they have been documented preying on small birds. They primarily feed on the ground, particularly along streams and in moist areas, where they search for snails, crabs, fruits, and insects.
Distribution in Bangladesh
Other Species from Group
-
Ficedula parva
(Red-throated (Taiga) Flycatcher) -
Enicurus schistaceus
(Black‑backed Forktail) -
Oenanthe deserti
(Asian Fairy Bluebird) -
Larvivora cyane
(Bluethroat) -
Cyornis magnirostris
(Hill Blue-flycatcher) -
Turdus unicolor
(Eyebrowed Thrush) -
Turdus dissimilis
(Tickell's Thrush) -
Cochoa purpurea
(Orange‑headed Thrush) -
Turdus obscurus
(Tibetan Blackbird) -
Ficedula sapphira
(Ultramarine Flycatcher)
Species groups
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Bee-eaters -
Booby -
frigatebird -
phalarope -
tropicbird -
Martins and Swallows -
Crows, Drongos & allies -
Woodpeckers -
Eared Nightjars -
Ibises & Spoonbills -
Trogons -
Coucals -
Pelicans -
Darters -
Gulls -
Warblers and allies -
Flowerpeckers & Sunbirds -
Sparrows, Wagtails, Pipits a& allies -
moonbird -
Hawks & Eagles -
Snipes, Sandpipers, Plovers & allies -
Small Kingfishers -
Cisticola & Prinia -
Plovers & Lapwings -
Rails, Gallinules & Coots -
Tits -
Parrots -
Rosefinches and Buntings -
Bustards -
Grebes -
Pheasants & Partridges -
Old World flycatcher -
Starlings and Mynas -
Hornbills -
Buttonquails -
Rollers -
Bluebirds -
Crested Kingfishers -
Cormorants -
Pigeons and Doves -
Jacanas -
Typical Owl -
Finfoots &booby -
Flamingo -
Herons and Bitterns -
Treecreepers -
Nuthatch -
Barbets -
Treeswifts -
Swifts -
Crab-plovers, Coursers and Pratincoles -
Bulbuls -
Frogmouths -
Larks -
Storks -
Broadbills -
Thick-knees -
Painted-snipes -
Nightjars -
Barn-owls -
Large-billed Kingfishers -
Falcons -
Pittas -
Cranes -
Whistling-ducks -
Ducks, Geese & Swans -
Hoopoe
References:
taxonomic checklist:P. M. Thompson and S. U. Chowdhury (2020). A checklist of birds of Bangladesh.Birds Bangladesh;photo credit: markus lilje(www.inaturalist.org/people/markus lilje),photo shared from iNaturalist, photo copyright reserved according to iNaturalist rules;Andrew Spencermore information, please contact us.
taxonomic checklist:P. M. Thompson and S. U. Chowdhury (2020). A checklist of birds of Bangladesh.Birds Bangladesh;photo credit: markus lilje(www.inaturalist.org/people/markus lilje),photo shared from iNaturalist, photo copyright reserved according to iNaturalist rules;Andrew Spencermore information, please contact us.