The white-bellied blue flycatcher (Cyornis pallidipes) is a small passerinebird in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats (including the Nilgiris) of southwest India. Males are dark blue with a lighter shade of blue on the brow and have a greyish white belly. Females have a rufous breast, a white face and olive grey above.
This flycatcher is about 13 centimetres (5.1 in) long and has a longish beak. It forages in the undergrowth in the shade of dense forest canopy where it makes aerial forays to capture insects. The male is indigo blue with ultramarine blue supercilium and forehead. The lores and face are dark grey. The belly is white and bordered by smoky grey wash. The female is olive brown above with whitish lores. The rufous throat and breast fades to white towards the belly. The female has a chestnut tail and can be told apart from other flycatchers like by the lack of the black and white tail pattern. In poor lighting and within the Palni Hills it can be confusable with the white-bellied blue robin, which however has longer legs and is more likely to be seen on the ground.[2][3][4][5]
Distributionedit
The white-bellied blue flycatcher male after a dip in water at Ganeshgudi, Dandeli
The white-bellied blue flycatcher occurs in dense forest and sholas south from Mahabaleshwar[6] through the Western Ghats, extending into the Nilgiris and the Biligirirangan Hills,[7] down to southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is found mainly in the hill forests from the foothills to about 1700 m in the Nilgiris.[3]
Behaviour and ecologyedit
The white-bellied blue flycatcher tends to be quiet and inactive, foraging mainly in the dark shade below the forest canopy.[8] They have a very low song that can be heard only at close quarters. The song is a rambling series of rising and falling broken notes interspersed with clicks and squeaks. They are usually seen singly or in pairs and are often found to join mixed-species foraging flocks.[3]
The breeding season is from February to September, mainly during the monsoon. The nest is a rough cup of moss neatly lined on the inside and placed low on a moss covered rock, hole in tree or mud-bank. The usual clutch is four eggs which are pale sea-green with brown spotting, denser on the broad end.[3]
Referencesedit
^BirdLife International (2017). "Cyornis pallidipes". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22709519A111056465. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22709519A111056465.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
^Rasmussen PC & JC Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Volume 2. Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edicions. p. 384.
^ abcdAli, S & S D Ripley (1996). Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan. Volume 7 (2nd ed.). New Delhi: Oxford University Press. pp. 183–184.
^Oates, EW (1890). The Fauna of British India. Birds. Volume 2. London: Taylor and Francis. p. 22.
^Baker, ECS (1924). The Fauna of British India. Birds. Volume 2 (2nd ed.). London: Taylor and Francis. pp. 228–229.
^Ali, Salim (1951). "Extension of range of the White-bellied Blue Flycatcher (Muscicapula pallipes pallipes Jerdon)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 49 (4): 785.
^Srinivasan, U. & Prashanth, N.S. (2006). "Preferential routes of bird dispersal to the Western Ghats in India: An explanation for the avifaunal peculiarities of the Biligirirangan Hills" (PDF). Indian Birds. 2 (4): 114–119.
^Shankar Raman; T. R. (2003). "Assessment of census techniques for interspecific comparisons of tropical rainforest bird densities: a field evaluation in the Western Ghats, India". Ibis. 145: 9–21. doi:10.1046/j.1474-919X.2003.00105.x.
December 18, 2023
white, bellied, blue, flycatcher, white, bellied, blue, flycatcher, cyornis, pallidipes, small, passerine, bird, flycatcher, family, muscicapidae, endemic, western, ghats, including, nilgiris, southwest, india, males, dark, blue, with, lighter, shade, blue, br. The white bellied blue flycatcher Cyornis pallidipes is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae It is endemic to the Western Ghats including the Nilgiris of southwest India Males are dark blue with a lighter shade of blue on the brow and have a greyish white belly Females have a rufous breast a white face and olive grey above White bellied blue flycatcherMale at a bird bath Dandeli India source source CallConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder PasseriformesFamily MuscicapidaeGenus CyornisSpecies C pallidipesBinomial nameCyornis pallidipes Jerdon 1840 SynonymsCyornis pallipesMuscicapula pallipes Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution 3 Behaviour and ecology 4 ReferencesDescription edit nbsp FemaleThis flycatcher is about 13 centimetres 5 1 in long and has a longish beak It forages in the undergrowth in the shade of dense forest canopy where it makes aerial forays to capture insects The male is indigo blue with ultramarine blue supercilium and forehead The lores and face are dark grey The belly is white and bordered by smoky grey wash The female is olive brown above with whitish lores The rufous throat and breast fades to white towards the belly The female has a chestnut tail and can be told apart from other flycatchers like by the lack of the black and white tail pattern In poor lighting and within the Palni Hills it can be confusable with the white bellied blue robin which however has longer legs and is more likely to be seen on the ground 2 3 4 5 Distribution edit nbsp The white bellied blue flycatcher male after a dip in water at Ganeshgudi DandeliThe white bellied blue flycatcher occurs in dense forest and sholas south from Mahabaleshwar 6 through the Western Ghats extending into the Nilgiris and the Biligirirangan Hills 7 down to southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala It is found mainly in the hill forests from the foothills to about 1700 m in the Nilgiris 3 Behaviour and ecology editThe white bellied blue flycatcher tends to be quiet and inactive foraging mainly in the dark shade below the forest canopy 8 They have a very low song that can be heard only at close quarters The song is a rambling series of rising and falling broken notes interspersed with clicks and squeaks They are usually seen singly or in pairs and are often found to join mixed species foraging flocks 3 The breeding season is from February to September mainly during the monsoon The nest is a rough cup of moss neatly lined on the inside and placed low on a moss covered rock hole in tree or mud bank The usual clutch is four eggs which are pale sea green with brown spotting denser on the broad end 3 References edit BirdLife International 2017 Cyornis pallidipes IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017 e T22709519A111056465 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2017 1 RLTS T22709519A111056465 en Retrieved 13 November 2021 Rasmussen PC amp JC Anderton 2005 Birds of South Asia The Ripley Guide Volume 2 Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edicions p 384 a b c d Ali S amp S D Ripley 1996 Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan Volume 7 2nd ed New Delhi Oxford University Press pp 183 184 Oates EW 1890 The Fauna of British India Birds Volume 2 London Taylor and Francis p 22 Baker ECS 1924 The Fauna of British India Birds Volume 2 2nd ed London Taylor and Francis pp 228 229 Ali Salim 1951 Extension of range of the White bellied Blue Flycatcher Muscicapula pallipes pallipes Jerdon J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 49 4 785 Srinivasan U amp Prashanth N S 2006 Preferential routes of bird dispersal to the Western Ghats in India An explanation for the avifaunal peculiarities of the Biligirirangan Hills PDF Indian Birds 2 4 114 119 Shankar Raman T R 2003 Assessment of census techniques for interspecific comparisons of tropical rainforest bird densities a field evaluation in the Western Ghats India Ibis 145 9 21 doi 10 1046 j 1474 919X 2003 00105 x Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title White bellied blue flycatcher amp oldid 1125666484, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
