Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

Overview

The Tickell's blue flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae) is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family, native to tropical Asia. It is an insectivorous species that breeds across a range extending from the Indian subcontinent eastwards to western Myanmar.

Identification

• 11–12 cm long with bright blue upperparts in males and duller blue in females.
• Male throat and breast are red, while the rest of the underparts are white.
• Juveniles are streaked with spotted mantles, scaly brown upperparts, and blue wings and tails.
• Sits upright and forages mainly in overgrowth.

Habitat

This species inhabits dense scrub, dry forest, bamboo, and gardens, often found in thick cover and shade. It particularly haunts the banks of wooded streams and shows regional variations in plumage and size across its range.

Diet

Primarily insectivorous, it captures insects in flight and may pick up crawling insects such as termites and earwigs from the ground. During the breeding season, it may consume larger prey, including small vertebrates like bush frogs.

Did you know?

The bird is named after the wife of British ornithologist Samuel Tickell, who collected specimens in India and Burma.