Blue-and-White Flycatcher
Why in News?
A male Blue-and-White Flycatcher was recently spotted on Pavagadh Hill in Gujarat. This is a significant record as India does not fall on the bird's usual migration route.
General Characteristics
- Scientific Name: Cyanoptila cyanomelana.
- Family: Part of the Muscicapidae (Old World flycatcher) family.
- Other Names: Commonly known as the Japanese Flycatcher.
- Size: A relatively large flycatcher, measuring approximately 16–17 cm in length and weighing about 25 g.
Physical Appearance
- Adult Male: Strikingly beautiful with cobalt-blue upperparts, a black face, throat, and breast, and a crisp white belly.
- Adult Female: Subdued appearance with grey-brown upperparts and a smaller-headed profile.
- Immature Male: Resembles the female (brownish) but possesses the adult's blue wings.
Distribution and Migration
- Breeding Grounds: Primarily breeds in Japan, Korea, northeastern China, and the Russian Far East.
- Wintering Grounds: Traditionally winters in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sumatra, and Borneo.
- Vagrancy in India: Though a rare visitor, sporadic records have been noted in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and the Andaman Islands.
Habitat and Behaviour
- Habitat: Prefers primary and secondary lowland and submontane forests, taiga, and wooded slopes up to 1,200 metres.
- Diet: Insectivorous, feeding on small invertebrates such as beetles, moths, and bees, and occasionally small berries.
- Vocalization: Known for a rich, fluty, and melodious song, often described as one of the best singers among all flycatchers.
Conservation Status
- IUCN Status: Classified as 'Least Concern' due to its wide distribution, although its global population is thought to be decreasing.
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