Himalayan Bluetail
Encyclopedia
The Himalayan Bluetail or Himalayan Red-flanked Bush-robin (Tarsiger rufilatus) 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 is a short-distance altitudinal migrant
species, breeding in mixed coniferous forest with undergrowth at 3,000–4,400 m altitude in the Himalaya and southwestern China
and wintering at 1,500–2,500 m. It is insectivorous. It is closely related to the Red-flanked Bluetail
and was generally treated as a subspecies
of it in the past, but as well as differing in its migratory behaviour (Red-flanked Bluetail is a long-distance migrant), it also differs in the more intense blue colour of the adult males and the greyer colour of the females and immatures.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher
Old World flycatcher
The Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small passerine birds mostly restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.-Characteristics:...
, Muscicapidae.
It is a short-distance altitudinal migrant
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
species, breeding in mixed coniferous forest with undergrowth at 3,000–4,400 m altitude in the Himalaya and southwestern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and wintering at 1,500–2,500 m. It is insectivorous. It is closely related to the Red-flanked Bluetail
Red-flanked Bluetail
The Red-flanked Bluetail , 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...
and was generally treated as a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of it in the past, but as well as differing in its migratory behaviour (Red-flanked Bluetail is a long-distance migrant), it also differs in the more intense blue colour of the adult males and the greyer colour of the females and immatures.