Tickell's blue flycatcher is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family. This is an insectivorous species which breeds in tropical Asia, from the Indian Subcontinent eastwards to Bangladesh and western Myanmar. The Indochinese blue flycatcher was formerly considered conspecific. They are blue on the upperparts and the throat and breast are rufous. They are found in dense scrub to forest habitats. The name commemorates the wife of the British ornithologist Samuel Tickell who collected in India and Burma.
Region
South and Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs from the Indian subcontinent east to Bangladesh and western Myanmar, with extensions into Sri Lanka and parts of mainland Southeast Asia. It inhabits moist and dry forests, dense scrub, riverine thickets, bamboo, and well-wooded gardens and plantations. Most often found in the shaded understory and along forest edges, especially near water. It readily occupies secondary growth and fragmented woodland where cover is dense.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Tickell's blue flycatcher is a small forest flycatcher of South and Southeast Asia, often seen sallying out from shaded perches to catch insects. The male’s vivid blue upperparts and rufous throat and breast make it stand out in dim understory light, while females are duller. It was formerly lumped with the Indochinese blue flycatcher. The name commemorates the wife of British ornithologist Samuel Tickell, who collected in India and Myanmar.
From southern India
Cyornis tickelliae from Bardiya National Park, Nepal
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with agile sallies
Social Behavior
Typically seen alone or in pairs in the breeding season, holding small territories in dense cover. The male sings from shaded perches and performs short display flights. Nests are placed in cavities, holes in banks, or crevices, lined with fine fibers; typical clutches are 3–5 eggs.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A rich, clear series of whistled phrases delivered at a leisurely pace, often repeated. Calls include a sharp metallic tick and soft churrs when agitated.
Plumage
Male with bright blue upperparts, rufous-orange throat and breast, and whitish belly; female duller with brownish-olive upperparts and faint bluish tones on wings and tail, paler orange wash on the throat and breast.
Diet
Primarily hunts flying and ground-dwelling insects such as beetles, flies, moths, and caterpillars; also takes spiders and other small arthropods. Feeds by sallying from low to mid-level perches and by gleaning from foliage and bark. Occasionally snaps prey off the ground or from fallen logs.
Preferred Environment
Forages in shaded understory, forest edges, riparian thickets, and bamboo clumps. Frequently uses semi-open wooded gardens and plantations where suitable cover is present.
