The firethroat also known as David's rubythroat or Père David's orangethroat is a species of passerine bird in the family Muscicapidae, found in western and central parts of China. It breeds in Sichuan, China, and winters primarily in the Indian subcontinent. Its wintering range spans across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Tibet and Myanmar. Its natural habitat is temperate forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Region
Southwest China and the Eastern Himalayas
Typical Environment
Breeds in temperate montane forests of western and central China, especially Sichuan, favoring dense undergrowth of rhododendron, bamboo, and mixed conifer-broadleaf stands. In winter it moves to the eastern Himalayan foothills and adjoining areas of Nepal, Bhutan, northeast India, Bangladesh, northern Myanmar, and Tibet. It frequents forest edges, thickets, ravines, and streamside scrub with ample cover. The species is typically secretive, keeping low in the understory and foraging near the ground.
Altitude Range
600–3600 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called David's rubythroat, it is named after the French missionary-naturalist Père Armand David who collected many Chinese birds. Males show a striking fire-orange throat patch that glows in low light, making the bird highly sought after by birders in its wintering range. It breeds in montane forests of Sichuan and migrates to the eastern Himalayas and adjacent regions for winter. Habitat loss and undergrowth clearance threaten its populations.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, darting flights
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs during the breeding season, keeping to dense cover. Nests low in shrubs or thick ground vegetation in montane forest, where both adults guard the territory. Outside breeding, it remains elusive, moving quietly through thickets and using cover to avoid detection.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
The song is a rich, melodious series of whistles and warbles delivered from concealed perches. Calls include sharp ticking notes and soft churrs when alarmed.
Plumage
Male shows a vivid orange throat and upper breast set against a dark face and upperparts, with a contrasting pale moustachial/superciliary area and paler underparts; back is gray-brown. Female is plain brown above with buffy or whitish throat and breast, faint supercilium, and whitish belly. Both sexes have relatively long legs and a medium-length tail often flicked while foraging.
Diet
Primarily takes insects and other small invertebrates such as beetles, ants, caterpillars, spiders, and small larvae. It gleans from leaf litter and low foliage and occasionally sallies to snap flying prey. In winter it may supplement with small berries and soft fruits when insects are scarce.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense understory, bamboo clumps, rhododendron thickets, and along forest edges and streams. Often forages on or near the ground under cover, emerging briefly into small gaps.
