Record shot

[Sabyasachi Patra]

A record image from BR Hills. The light was too low.

Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 400mm f2.8 L IS USM + EF 1.4xII TC, f4, 1/100, ISO 800.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Bhargava Srivari]

If i may ask, what bird is this?

Cheers

[Atul Sinai]

Wow. Fantastic record shot. Nice composition and details. Loved the catch.
tfs

Regards,
Atul

[Mrudul Godbole]

You got it nicely in the low light. It was quite far off for me and the light was also very low. I am not sure of the id, is it yellow eyed babbler? Just a guess. Thanks for sharing.

[Roopak Gangadharan]

Nice image.seems to be picking nesting material.

Eurasian Black bird (Turdus merula simillimus) looks like Adult female.

TFS
Roopak

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Birds of South Asia The Ripley Guide by Pamela C. Rasmussen and John C. Anderton

They have mentioned it as Indian Blackbird (Turdus simillimus) usually considered conspecific with T. merula.

"In Nilgiris and surrounding hills (Brahmagiri, Bababudan, Biligirirangan atleast), nominate is entirely dark brownish-grey, male with head blacker than body, wings bluer-grey, and lower underparts entirely mid-toned brownish-grey, female dark dull brown above, paler dull grey-brown below with slightly streaked throat, juvenile as for nigropileus except that abdomen is much buffier and flanks darker and browner.

Habits: Feeds in both fuiting and flowering trees and on ground. Breeds Feb-Nov, making bulky cup of fibres with a mud layer and an inner lining, placed in tree-fork or bush. Eggs bluish and highly glossed with bold dark brown speckles (nigropileus), tending to be more finely and evenly brown-marked farther South(Kinnisii)