Red-flanked bluetail

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Red-flanked bluetail
Male
Female

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Tarsiger
Species:
T. cyanurus
Binomial name
Tarsiger cyanurus
(Pallas, 1773)
Range of T. cyanurus
  Breeding
  Resident
  Non-breeding
Synonyms

Luscinia cyanura
Erithacus cyanurus

The red-flanked bluetail (Tarsiger cyanurus), also known as the orange-flanked bush-robin, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It, and related species, are often called chats.

Habitat

It is a

Indochina. The breeding range is slowly expanding westwards through Finland (where up to 500 pairs now breed), and it is a rare but increasing vagrant to Western Europe, mainly to Great Britain.[2][3][4] There have also been a few records in North America, mostly in western Alaska as well as one on San Clemente Island off the southern California coast[5][6] and one overwintering on the Central California coast in Santa Cruz, California, in 2023.[7] One was also spotted in New Jersey in December 2023.[8]

Description

At 13–14 cm long and 10–18 g weight, the red-flanked bluetail is similar in size and weight to the common redstart and slightly smaller (particularly with a slimmer build) than the European robin. As the name implies, both sexes have a blue tail and rump, and orange-red flanks; they also have a white throat and greyish-white underparts, and a small, thin black bill and slender black legs. The adult male additionally has dark blue upperparts, while females and immature males are plain brown above apart from the blue rump and tail, and have a dusky breasts. In behaviour, it is similar to a common redstart, frequently flicking its tail in the same manner, and regularly flying from a perch to catch insects in the air or on the ground. The male sings its melancholy trill from treetops. Its call is a typical chat "tacc" noise. The nest is built on or near the ground, with 3–5 eggs which are incubated by the female.[2][9]

Taxonomy and nomenclature

The genus name Tarsiger is from Ancient Greek tarsos, "flat of the foot" and Latin gerere, "to carry". The specific cyanurus is also derived from Greek, the roots being kuanos, "dark-blue", and oura, "tail".[10]

In the past generally treated as comprising two

Himalaya, it is now increasingly being treated as monotypic, with T. c. rufilatus split off as a distinct species, Himalayan bluetail
T. rufilatus. The species has also been known by a variety of English and scientific names in the ornithological literature.

The subspecies albocoeruleus, distributed in north-central

vocalisation, but only marginally different in morphology. The males of albocoeruleus have bluer fore-supercilium, and less white than in cyanurus.[13]

The table below details the treatments adopted by some major works, by publication date (newest first):

Publication English name Scientific name Taxonomic notes
IOC standard list, version 2.5[14] Red-flanked bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus monotypic; excludes rufilatus
Collins Bird Guide[9] Red-flanked bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus
IOC standard list, version 1[15] Red-flanked bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus polytypic; includes rufilatus
Clements Checklist (6th edition)[16]
Red-flanked bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus polytypic; includes rufilatus
Birds of South Asia[17] Northern red-flanked bush-robin Tarsiger cyanurus monotypic; rufilatus split off
HBW[18] Orange-flanked bush-robin Tarsiger cyanurus polytypic; includes rufilatus, although split suggested
Howard & Moore (3rd edition)[19]
Orange-flanked bush robin Luscinia cyanura polytypic; includes rufilatus
OBC Checklist[20] Orange-flanked bush robin Tarsiger cyanurus polytypic; includes rufilatus
Howard & Moore (2nd edition)[21]
Red-flanked bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus polytypic; includes rufilatus
BWP[22]
Red-flanked bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus polytypic; includes rufilatus
Voous[23] Red-flanked bluetail or
orange-flanked bush robin
Tarsiger cyanurus polytypic; includes rufilatus

References