White-bellied Redstart - BirdForum Opus

L. p. ichangensis, male
Photo by bambuza
Chiang Mai, Thailand, December 2012

Luscinia phaenicuroides

Identification

Subspecies phaenicuroides
Photo by Vadim
Lantang, Nepal, June 2017

Length 18–19 cm (7-7½ in), weight 22–25 g
A medium-sized subalpine scrub-dwelling chat, formerly thought to be related to redstarts, but now known from genetic evidence to be a nightingale. Tail fairly long; often fanned and cocked.
Male mostly dark blue, except for white lower belly, orange sides to the tail base, and two small white spots on the alula.
Female mostly dark brown, except for whitish lower belly.

Similar species

White-tailed Robin is fairly similar, but lacks the white belly, and has white sides to the tail base (in both sexes) and a paler blue forehead in males.

Distribution

Female
Photo by robby thai
Doi Phu Hom Pok NP, Thailand, December 2017

Asia: found in China, Tibet, Inner Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, India, eastern and western Himalayas, Bhutan
Southeast Asia: Indochina, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand

Taxonomy

Formerly placed in genus Hodgsonius. Species name formerly often, but incorrectly, spelled "phoenicuroides"^[1].

Subspecies

There are 2 subspecies^{[1], [2]}:

• L. p. phaenicuroides:

• Himalayas of Pakistan to southeastern Tibet, southwestern China and northern Myanmar

• L. p. ichangensis:

• Himalayas of western China; winters to northern Vietnam and Laos

Habitat

Open to dense subalpine scrub forests, at 2400–4300 m altitude; descends lower in winter, down to 1300 m, where occupies dense scrub and woods^[3].

Behaviour

Diet

Insects and other arthropods, small seeds, and berries; feeds mainly on the ground^[3].

Vocalisation

Recording by china guy, Sichuan, June 2011

References

1. Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2017. IOC World Bird Names (version 7.1). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
2. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
3. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and D Christie, eds. 2005. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 10: Cuckoo-Shrikes to Thrushes. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334726
4. Avibase

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2023) White-bellied Redstart. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 December 2023 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-bellied_Redstart

External Links

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