Asian Paradise Flycatcher

April 2011 Jeli, Kelantan

Getting a decent ‘clean’ shot of this unusual looking bird has always been a challenge for me. Their preference for the thick undergrowth below the forest canopy make the task much tougher.I’ve been trying to photograph this ‘hard to see’ bird for quite sometime without much success. I guess lady luck must be smiling on me when I stumbled upon this lovely couple out in the open not far from where I was standing.

 

 

Their extra long tail certainly add to that ‘exotic’ look ….

 

The female bird showed up briefly, allowing me to get a couple of shots…

 

Further up the track I had another encounter with another bird with a slightly different ‘hair style’ and shorter tail.. Could it be a juvenile or a different morph?

 

The ‘Star’ of the trip has got to be this rarely seen White Morphed Asian Paradise Flycatcher. Unfortunately, this particular bird only allowed me a couple of ‘hurried’ shots before he disappeared into the forest.

 

I couldn’t get the tail into the frame as the bird showed up too close to me and I was already at the edge of a drop off..

 

This distant shot shows the actual length of the tail…..truly remarkable!