Zappey’s Flycatcher

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

Scientific Name: Cyanoptila cumatilis

Malay Name: Sambar-Berlau Rengkung Biru

Chinese Name: 琉璃蓝鹟

Range: Found from Siberia, northeast China to North Korea and winter to Southeast Asia

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 18 cm

Identification: Male resembles Blue-and-white Flycatcher but has less dark or more bluish head-sides, throat and breast. Female and first-winter male cannot be distinguished from Blue-and-white Flycatcher.

Similar looking species: Blue-and-white Flycatcher

Habitat: Forest, parks, gardens and wooded areas.

Behaviour/Ecology: Forages mainly at the mid-stratum and canopy levels for insects.

Local Status: Rare migrant

Conservation Status: Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured reports: Mar 2022, Nov 2022, 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):

Zappey's Flycatcher Cyanoptila cumatilis
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Peak week Nov 19-Nov 25
Early date 02 Nov 2015
Late date 16 Mar 2022
Only adult males are identifiable in the field, as other plumages cannot be safely separated from Blue-and-white Flycatcher.
Zappey’s Flycatcher at Bidadari. Photo credit: Mohamad Zahidi Hamid
Zappey’s Flycatcher at Telok Blangah Hill Park. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Zappey’s Flycatcher at Bidadari. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Zappey’s Flycatcher at Telok Blangah Hill Park. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Zappey’s Flycatcher at Bidadari. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Zappey’s Flycatcher at Bidadari. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Zappey’s Flycatcher at Bidadari. 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 (Zappey's Flycatcher)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Cyanoptila cumatilis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T103758091A104207051.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.). Zappey's Flycatcher. Retrieved on July 20, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/zappeys-flycatcher.

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