Ceylon Whistling Thrush

Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush (Arrenga) "Myophonus blighi" (Holdsworth, 1872)

A rarely-seen bird, the Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush (also known as the Arrenga) is exclusively resident in the mountains of the wet zone, at altitudes between about 1,200 and 2,100 meters. It occurs only in natural, undisturbed forest. It is a rare and rather shy bird, most often seen on the margins of a densely shaded stream. The male’s hissing srhee.. srhee.. call, as it flutters between bushes in the evening, is usually heard before the bird itself is seen. Females are even shyer than males, and rarely seen. The birds are crepuscular.

Both sexes are about the same size (20 cm long), the male being darker-coloured than the female.

There is single breeding season, from January to May, during which a large nest is built of roots, twigs, leaves and moss, with a deep cup at its Centre. Up to two pale green eggs (30.8 x 21.8mm), faintly speckled in reddish-brown (especially at the broad end) are laid.