I almost ticked off this one as the more commonly-sighted paradise flycatcher until its lighter head, throat and breast shade, more of slaty-grey, made me google and re-google, and finally obtain a reassuring confirmation from a senior birder, and was I glad I did all those.
It's indeed the Blyth's Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone affinis), a first sighting for me and for Bukit Kiara, a species that could originate from southern China, Myanmar, Indochina to Indonesia. Whilst it assumes Least Concern status, it's nevertheless a scarce winter visitor here.
It's simply great that the bukit has charted the sightings of three species of paradise flycatchers, including the rarer white morph so far, in fact all that have been seen in the country.
And it augurs well for this hill park that has increasingly seen rarer species of avian migrants transiting here, attesting to its vital location in the pathways of these seasonal migrant birds seeking to winter south.
12/2021
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