Photo: Salvadori, 1879 / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Shiny Whistling Thrush
Myophonus melanurus
Shiny Whistling Thrush (Myophonus melanurus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Shiny Whistling Thrush (Myophonus melanurus) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 66.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Genus Myophonus
- Species melanurus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 66.6 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Endangered
Endangered
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Shiny Whistling Thrush is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Shiny Whistling Thrush is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Shiny Whistling Thrush (Myophonus melanurus) belongs to the Muscicapidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR montane Sumatra.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 66.6 g, with a wing length of about 11.6 cm and a tail of around 8.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 67,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Shiny Whistling Thrush?
The Shiny Whistling Thrush is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 66.6 g.
Where does the Shiny Whistling Thrush live?
The Shiny Whistling Thrush is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR montane Sumatra, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Shiny Whistling Thrush belong to?
The Shiny Whistling Thrush (Myophonus melanurus) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Shiny Whistling Thrush eat?
The Shiny Whistling Thrush is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Shiny Whistling Thrush migrate?
The Shiny Whistling Thrush is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Shiny Whistling Thrush endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Shiny Whistling Thrush make?
1 real field recording of the Shiny Whistling Thrush — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Shiny Whistling Thrush's range?
The Shiny Whistling Thrush has a mapped global range of about 67,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Muscicapidae
A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.