
Meera Bhardwaj:
Out of the blue, a bird, so glossy blue appeared suddenly from the dense undergrowth with a striking whistling call. It was the Malabar Whistling Thrush that thrives in the Western Ghats and is a resident here.
This is an endemic species and a medium sized bird with striking and contrasting colors from deep blue to mottled blue-black. Its calls are melodious, sometimes high pitched and making single or double whistles at different times of the day.

Popularly called as the Whistling Schoolboy, the call of the Malabar Whistling Thrush is very distinctive as it can be recognized for its human whistling call during dawn.
In fact, it is a large thrush bird and can be easily sighted for its unique colors amidst the green foliage and moist ground vegetation.

Waking up on a cold morning in B R Hills (Biligiri Ranganabetta), Karnataka state, India, I heard its call and followed the bird which was not ready to display its beautiful plumage.
We were staying at Giridarshini Homestay that is nestled amidst an estate with rich coffee and spices plantations. Making my way to the backyard of the homestay, I somehow managed to picturize this amazing bird that was flitting on the ground or suddenly moving from one tree to another.

The bird was least bothered about the human presence or the sounds made by human activities. I found it busy – foraging in the ground and feeding on insects, worms, crabs, berries and what not.
With the homestay surrounded by scenic and verdant hills and situated near a gushing forest stream, it was indeed a perfect habitat for the Malabar Whistling Thrush.

This species is usually found in singles or pairs. And I sighted a lone bird that was whistling for a long time almost from 6 till 8.30 in the morning.
Maybe, because it was a suitable habitat despite the human presence, the beautiful thrush stayed for almost two hours sometimes visible amidst the foliage and sometimes flitting on the ground. It was so used to the cables and wires on the ground that it easily hopped without any injuries.

Now how to describe this amazing bird with its schoolboy whistling call?
The male has a blackish upper body with shiny blue patches on forehead and shoulders while it is glossy royal blue from mid-breast to belly and back. The female is almost the same but not as striking as the male. The male has vibrant blue scales while the females are subtle blue.

The bill and legs of the Malabar Whistling Thrush are black and can be easily seen amid the contrasting blue colors. One needs perfect lighting for the distinctive blue colors to be visible and that is possible only in the early hours.
Presently, the Malabar Whistling Thrush is listed on the IUCN Red List as “Least Concern” as it is spread over a wide range all along the Western Ghats.
(PHOTO CREDIT: ALL IMAGES BY MEERA BHARDWAJ , LOCATION AT B R HILLS, KARNATAKA)