Cyornis tickelliae
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| Photo by J.J. Harrison (Wikipedia) |
Common name:
Tickell’s blue-flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-de-Tickell (pt); gobemouche de Tickell (fr); niltava de Tickell (es); braunbrust-blauschnäpper (de)
Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae
Range:
This Asian species is found from India and Sri Lanka, through Bangladesh and Nepal, and into Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Size:
These birds are 11-12 cm long and weigh 8-10 g.
Habitat:
The Tickell’s blue-flycatcher is mostly found in dry forests, scrubland, bamboo and gardens. They can also be found in arable land and plantations.
Diet:
They feed mainly by capturing insects in flight but their prey include other insects such as termites and earwigs that may be gleaned or picked from the ground.
Breeding:
Tickell’s blue-flycatcher breed in March-August. They nest in a hole in a tree or amongst rocks, lined with fine grasses and fibres. There the female lays 3-5 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 10-12 days. The chicks are cared for by both sexes and fledge 10-11 days after hatching, but continue to be fed by their parents for another week.
Conservation:
IUCN status – LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as locally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.
