Avian Sighting in September 2019 - Zappey's Flycatcher

After 6 weeks of non-birding,  I was up late at 7.00am on last Saturday; and then reluctantly I decided to drop by Genting Highland which is just 30 minutes from Gombak toll. I was hoping to catch any early arrival of migratory passerine birds. Met En Ashraf a young birder from PJ there. He already saw an Artic Warbler at the end of the trail.  Bird activity was as expected ...quiet except for the usual resident birds. My happy catch of the day in the late morning was this visiting flycatcher. Wish it was the White-tailed fc but it has no white gorget ie necklaced band.

The female bird cannot be really differentiated much between the Zappey's Flycatcher and its other subspecies Blue & White Flycatcher.

It was making a distress call - "kluk-kluk-kluk". unfortunately it was not singing. The bird would usually cock its tail in alertness. The throat right down to its belly has a uniform brownish coat which do not match my bible of the Blue and White Fc female.  I will tentatively consider it a Zappey's. The bird is large at about 18-19cm in length.

The bird is most probably in passage down south maybe ending up in Singapore.

December 2020, I was in Taman TAR Ampang to capture this male Zappey's Flycatcher. The place is happening with many of the ficus tree fruiting attracting a myriad of fruitivorous birds. The bird is staying for good I hope until it return home to China in March.