Narcissus Flycatcher

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

Scientific Name: Ficedula narcissina

Malay Name: Sambar Kunyit Timur

Chinese Name: 黄眉姬鹟

Range: Breeding in Sakhalin, Kuril Island, to Japan (except Ryukyu Island). Winters in Philippines to Borneo.

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 13-13.5 cm

Identification: Male resembles Yellow-rumped Flycatcher but has yellow supercilium, yellowish-white belly and small wing-patch without white line along edge of tertials. May shows orange flush on throat in spring. Female resembles Green-backed Flycatcher but much browner above with rusty-coloured wing linings and whiter below with variable dark scales/mottling on throat sides and breast.

Similar looking species: Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Green-backed Flycatcher, Mugimaki Flycatcher

Habitat: Forest, parks, gardens and wooded areas.

Behaviour/Ecology: Forages at mid-level in typical flycatcher pattern for insects.

Local Status: Vagrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2017)

Featured reports: Dec 2024, Mar 2025

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Peak week Nov 26-Dec 02
Early date 19 Nov 2020
Late date 06 Dec 2020
The handful of recent records have all come between the last week and Nov and mid-Dec.
Male Narcissus Flycatcher at Dairy Farm Nature Park. Photo credit: Jared Tan
Male Narcissus Flycatcher at Dairy Farm Nature Park. Photo credit: Jared Tan
Female Narcissus Flycatcher at Bidadari. Photo credits: Alan Ng
Female Narcissus Flycatcher at Dairy Farm Nature Park. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Male Narcissus Flycatcher at Singapore Botanic Gardens. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Male Narcissus Flycatcher at Singapore Botanic Gardens. Photo credit: Francis Yap

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Narcissus Flycatcher)

References:

BirdLife International. (2017). Ficedula narcissina. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T103769227A111166648.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Narcissus Flycatcher. Retrieved on June 18, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/narcissus-flycatcher.

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