The large blue flycatcher is a medium-sized bird species characterized by distinctive sexual dimorphism along with most others of the Flycatcher family. This species of bird is in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in the eastern Himalayas, from Nepal to Bangladesh. It winters in the northern Malay Peninsula.
Region
South and Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds in mid-elevation forests of the eastern Himalayas from Nepal through northeastern India into Bangladesh and adjacent Myanmar. Prefers moist broadleaf and mixed forests, forest edges, and bamboo thickets, often near streams and shaded gullies. In winter it moves south to lowlands and foothills across mainland Southeast Asia, reaching the northern Malay Peninsula. It uses secondary growth and well-wooded parks during migration and winter but remains tied to dense cover.
Altitude Range
200–2000 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This striking flycatcher shows strong sexual dimorphism: males are vivid blue with a rufous-orange throat and breast, while females are brownish with bluish tail tones. It breeds in the eastern Himalayas and moves south to winter in Southeast Asia, often frequenting wooded ravines and streamside forests. Like other flycatchers, it hunts by sallying out from shaded perches to snatch insects mid-air.
Temperament
shy and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with quick sallies from perches
Social Behavior
Generally solitary or in pairs during the breeding season; males defend small territories with song. Nests are cup-shaped, often placed in a cavity, crevice, or sheltered fork on a bank or tree. Both parents participate in feeding the young after hatching.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
A sweet, melodious series of clear whistles and short phrases delivered from shaded perches. Calls include thin, high-pitched tsip notes and soft ticks when alarmed.
Plumage
Male has deep cobalt-blue upperparts with a rufous-orange throat and breast fading to whitish belly; female is warm brown above with a bluish tail and rump and paler underparts with a faint orange wash on the throat.
Diet
Primarily hunts flying insects such as flies, beetles, moths, and winged ants, snatching them on short aerial sallies. Also gleans caterpillars and spiders from foliage and bark. Occasionally takes small berries, especially during migration and in winter when insect activity is lower.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in shaded understory to mid-canopy along forest edges, ravines, and stream corridors. Often selects perches with open airspace to launch short foraging flights, returning to the same or nearby perch repeatedly.
