Flycatchers and chats · Perching birds
Red-flanked Bluetail
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Tarsiger cyanurus
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How to recognize it
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13–14 cm long
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Blue tail and rump, orange flanks in both sexes
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Adult male dark blue above; female and immature male brown above
About the species
A male Red-flanked Bluetail has deep blue upperparts, a brighter blue rump and tail, and orange-red flanks against pale underparts. A white throat and a pale stripe above the eye break up the blue around its head. Females and young males are brown above, but keep the blue tail and orange sides.
It often flicks its tail, then darts from a perch to catch insects in the air or on the ground. The male’s song starts with soft whistles, rises into a repeated trill, then fades; a short “tacc” is its call.
It breeds in mixed coniferous forests with undergrowth across northern Asia and parts of northeastern Europe. There it feeds on insects, catching them in quick flights or from the ground. After breeding, it migrates south to winter in Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Himalayas, Taiwan and northern Indochina.
Where to find
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Outside the city, in northern mixed conifer forests with undergrowth, listen for a male Red-flanked Bluetail's melancholy trill from a treetop.
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In the undergrowth of these forests, watch for short flights from a perch to catch insects in the air.
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In dense pine and spruce thickets, look for frequent flicks of a blue tail from a branch.
