Mangrove Blue Flycatcher

This species is defined as a Review Species. Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page.

Scientific Name: Cyornis rufigastra
Malay Name: Sambar-Biru Bakau
Chinese Name: 红树仙鹟

Range:
Found from the Thai-Malay Peninsula to Indonesia and the Philippines.

Taxonomy:
Polytypic. Subspecies are: rufigastra, longipennis, rhizophorae, karimatensis, simplex, marinduquensis, philippinensis, mindorensis.

Local Subspecies: rufigastra

Size: 14.5 cm

Identification:
Male has all blue upperparts, deep orange-rufous throat to upper belly and rest of underparts whitish. Female looks like male but has whitish face marks.

Similar looking species: Chinese Blue Flycatcher

Habitat: Mangroves.

Behaviour/Ecology: Sallies for flying insects from shaded perches. Nests in the rotted-out hollow top of nipah palm frond-base.

Local Status: Rare resident

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured articles:

Featured reports: Mar 2022

Past accepted records in our database:

Mangrove Blue Flycatcher at Pasir Ris Park. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Female Mangrove Blue Flycatcher from Pulau Ubin. Photo Credit: Lawrence Neo
Male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher from Pulau Ubin. Photo Credit: Lawrence Neo
Male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher from Pulau Ubin. Photo Credit: Lawrence Neo
Mangrove Blue Flycatcher family from Pulau Ubin. Photo Credit: Lawrence Neo
Female Mangrove Blue Flycatcher from Pulau Ubin. Photo Credit: Lawrence Neo
Mangrove Blue Flycatcher at Pasir Ris Park. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher from Pulau Ubin. Photo Credit: Lawrence Neo
Male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher at Pulau Ubin. Photo Credit: Chris Li
Female Mangrove Blue Flycatcher at Pulau Ubin. Photo Credit: Chris Li
Female Mangrove Blue Flycatcher from Pulau Ubin. Photo Credit: Lawrence Neo
Male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher from Pulau Ubin. Photo Credit: Lawrence Neo
Male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher from Pulau Ubin. Photo Credit: Lawrence Neo
Male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher from Pulau Ubin. Photo Credit: Lawrence Neo
Male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher from Pulau Ubin. Photo Credit: Lawrence Neo
Juvenile Mangrove Blue Flycatcher from Pulau Ubin. Photo Credit: Lawrence Neo
External Links:
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Mangrove Blue Flycatcher)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Cyornis rufigastra. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T103762260A94215225.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
Wells, D. R. (1999). The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula (Vol. 1). Academic Press, London.