Black-naped Monarch

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)

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Past accepted records in our database:

Black-naped Monarch (male) at Panti Bird Sanctuary. Photo credit: Alan Ng

Male Black-naped Monarch at Pulau Tekong on 16 Dec 2012. Photo Credit: Lim Kim Chuah

Black-naped Monarch (female) at Panti Bird Sanctuary. Photo credit: Alan Ng

Black-naped Monarch (male) at Panti Bird Sanctuary. Photo credit: Alan Ng

Black-naped Monarch (male) at Panti Bird Sanctuary. Photo credit: Lawrence Neo

Male Black-naped Monarch at Pulau Tekong on 16 Dec 2012. Photo Credit: Lim Kim Chuah