Scientific Name: Hypothymis azurea
Malay Name: Murai-Ranting Biasa
Chinese Name: 黑枕王鹟
Range:
Found from Indian subcontinent to Southern China and Southeast Asia.
Taxonomy:
Polytypic. Subspecies are: styani, oberholseri, ceylonensis, tytleri, idiochroa, nicobarica, montana, galerita, forrestia, prophata, javana, penidae, karimatensis, opisthocyanea, gigantoptera, consobrina, leucophila, richmondi, abbotti, symmixta, azurea, aeria, catarmanensis.
Local Subspecies: prophata
Size: 16-17.5 cm
Identification:
Male has distinctive all blue upperparts and breast, white belly and black nuchal tuft and breast band. Female has a dull bluish head, greyish breast, brownish upperparts and whitish belly. Juvenile resembles female.
Habitat: Forest, forest edge and secondary growth near forest.
Behaviour/Ecology: Diet consist presumably of small insects which are usually snatched when flushed.
Local Status: Rare resident
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)
Location: Still occur in the northern half of Pulau Tekong. Also sighted in Pulau Ubin. A bird was sighted at Central Catchment Forest on 1 Jan 2004.
Photos:
External Links:
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Photos: Oriental Bird Images
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Hypothymis azurea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. Downloaded on 2 September 2021
Robson, C. (2008). A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia. New Holland Publishers.
Wells, D. (1999). Birds of Thai-Malay Peninsula. Academic Press.