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Case Summary for:
Submission No 232: Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius; Noosa Heads, QLD 26 October 1997. Submitted by Mike Carter & Robert Shaw. Verdict: Accepted This case relates to the sighting of a bird of national interest creating much publicity during its stay between 26 October 1997 - 1 December 1997 on a headland at the Northern end of Sunshine Beach near Noosa SE. QLD. Excellent submissions were presented by two observers providing the committee with field notes, a series of photographs and a written account detailing the circumstances of the sighting. The bird was seen by many ornithologists and bird-watchers throughout its stay. One submission describes the bird in detail covering: mannerism, size & shape, colour of body parts (including the head & tail) and bare parts. Some of the key characters mentioned include the size; described as comparable to a short-tailed, long legged Song Thrush Turdus philomelos, the colour; which appeared wholly dark although closer views in good light revealed the upperparts to be mainly greyish-blue with darker wings and tail. The front of the head to the lower breast being described as dark grey-brown flecked with pale blue and off white chevrons producing a scaly appearance. The sides of the breast and belly from the bend of the wing to the upper flank, the under-tail coverts and most of the underwing lining being rich chestnut. The lower flanks and thighs bright blue and the vent duller and darker,, possibly dark-blue. A strip down the centre of the lower breast and belly was a mixture of dark-grey, brown and chestnut with pale scaling like the upper-breast. One observer states that when perched it appeared that the blue patch on the thigh and flank joined with the blue of the rump and went on to point out that a photograph of the bird taking flight reveals a discontinuity caused by a narrow strip of chestnut on the upper flank. All visible under secondary-coverts were bright chestnut, under primary-coverts were very dark and the underside of the remiges appeared pale and shiny. Committee members commented that the size, upperpart colouration, and the extent of chestnut on the underparts combined with the remaining notes & photographs leaves no doubt as to the birds identity. One observer suggested that "the chestnut underparts indicate the race to be philippensis but the larger than normal area of blue on the flank above the thigh might suggest an intermediate with the race pandoo (cramp et al., 1988)". One member looked into this possibility and located photographs of philippensis that do show a thigh patch fitting the description of the Noosa bird therefore indicating that the description may well be consistent for the race philippensis. Several members also commented that pandoo is more sedentary and has yet to be recorded in S.E. Asia (Cramp 1988, King et al 1975, White & Bruce 1986) and is therefore very unlikely to reach Australia, although there is record from Japan (Brazil 1991, Abe 1989). The race philippensis on the other hand is a long distance migrant recorded as a regular visitor to Sulawesi, the Moluccas and other nearby islands during October-April (White & Bruce 1986, Jany 1977). It is worth noting that the male reported from Port Moresby in January 1986 (Hicks & Finch 1987) was also considered to be a male of the race philippensis, although a second Australasian record from Manokwari, Irian Jaya on 11 January 1994 (Gregory et al 1996) apparently involved a female. The age of the bird has proved difficult to ascertain with the observers proposing a first year male. Speculation was that this birds occurrence in Australia may be related to the Indonesian forest fires, causing this individual to overshoot its normal wintering ground. The committee unanimously accepts this record as a male Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius philippensis. The first confirmed record for Australia.
References and Bibliography
Tony Palliser |