Blue-and-white Flycatcher
Cyanoptila cyanomelana
The Blue-and-white Flycatcher (Cyanoptila cyanomelana) is a rare chats, old world flycatchers, and alli found in 23 countries, weighing about 23 g. The blue-and-white flycatcher is a migratory songbird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.
About the Blue-and-white Flycatcher
The blue-and-white flycatcher is a migratory songbird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. The species is also known as the Japanese flycatcher. It breeds in Japan, Korea, and in parts of north eastern China and the Russian Far East. It winters in South East Asia, especially in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sumatra and Borneo. This species has been recorded as a vagrant from the Sinharaja Rainforest in Sri Lanka in 2014.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The blue-and-white flycatcher is a large flycatcher (16–17 cm long, weight 25 g on average) with a striking plumage pattern. The male is deep cobalt blue, with black on the face down to the upper part of the breast and flanks, the rest of the underside white. There is also a prominent white patch on the base of the outer tail feathers. Immature males have the adult male's blue wings, but are otherwise brown like females.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Mongolia, Australia, Brunei, Oman, Palau.
When to see it
Best months: March, April, May, June, September, October, with peak activity in April. It is a passage migrant species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Blue-and-white Flycatcher?
- The blue-and-white flycatcher is a large flycatcher (16–17 cm long, weight 25 g on average) with a striking plumage pattern. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Blue-and-white Flycatcher?
- The Blue-and-white Flycatcher is a small sized bird weighing about 23 g.
- Where can you see a Blue-and-white Flycatcher?
- The Blue-and-white Flycatcher occurs in 23 countries, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China and Malaysia.
- What birds look similar to a Blue-and-white Flycatcher?
- The Blue-and-white Flycatcher is most easily confused with the Zappey's Flycatcher.
- Is the Blue-and-white Flycatcher endangered?
- The Blue-and-white Flycatcher is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Blue-and-white Flycatcher for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.