China's Green Paradise: Discovering the Rare Chestnut-bellied Whistler in Siming | Uncovering the Precious Bird Species in Longqiushan

On March 8th, in the afternoon, researchers from the Fujian Longqiushan National Nature Reserve Administration were conducting fieldwork when they unexpectedly discovered a vibrant little bird on a branch in a dense forest, which surprised the staff. It turned out to bea rare thrush species – the Chestnut-bellied Whistler.

On the branch, its tail was swaying back and forth, emitting a melodious chirping sound, which was very attractive. Experts from the Fujian Birdwatching Association said: Chestnut-bellied Whistlers are in small numbers, with erratic movements, and you can only find them during the breeding season. Taking a photo is a rare opportunity.

The Chestnut-bellied Whistler belongs to the Thrush family within the order Passeriformes. It is commonly known as the Chestnut-colored Chest Thrush or Chestnut Thrush. It is a large thrush (24cm) with sexually dimorphic colors. The male’s face has a black facial patch. The upper body is blue, with the tail, throat, and lower body with a vibrant chestnut color. The female is brown, with the upper body having near-black fan-shaped markings, and the lower body is covered with deep brown and fan-shaped markings of pale yellow. The chicks have russet-colored spot patterns and fan-shaped markings of brown. The iris is dark brown; the beak is black; the feet are black-brown. It is distributed in the south and southeast of Tibet, Sichuan, western Hubei, Fujian, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, and Guangdong, in mid-altitude areas. It breeds in forests at an altitude of 1000-3000 meters, and overwinters in low-altitude, open, and rocky hillside forests. It is commonly found on the crowns of small trees. The species’ original origin is in the Himalayas.