Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus was only recorded four times on the trip, all in the fields near Mr. Tii’s, our final birding spot before heading to Chiang Mai for our flight to Bangkok and onward international destinations.
Common Woodshrike has had a varied taxonomic history having been placed in the Cuckooshrike Campephagidae family, Helmetshrike Prionopidae family in the past and is now considered a member of the family Woodshrikes and allies Tephrodornithidae. It is small and ashy brown with a dark cheek patch and a broad white brow as can be seen in the photo. It is found across Asia mainly in the thin forest and scrub habitats.
Four subspecies are recognised T. p. pallidus in Pakistan (E Baluchistan, Punjab, Sind) and NW India (from foothills S to Gujarat and NC Uttar Pradesh); T. p. pondicerianus in India (except NW) and S Nepal and Bangladesh E to Myanmar, Thailand (except S) and C & S Laos; T. p. affinis Sri Lanka, now thought to be a separate species by some authoriies; T. p. orientis in Cambodia and S Vietnam. The subspecies in the north west of Thailand where this bird was photographed is T. p. pondicerianus.
It is not globally threatened and is fairly common to common throughout its range and widespread and common in most of Indian Subcontinent.
Reference: Wikipedia; HBW Alive
Country: Thailand
Location: Doi Inthanon
Family: Woodshrikes and allies (Tephrodornithidae)
Species: Common Woodshrike (Tephrodornis pondicerianus)
Date taken: 14/12/2016