The ultramarine flycatcher or the white-browed blue flycatcher is a small arboreal Old World flycatcher in the Ficedula genus. Its breeding range extends from eastern Afghanistan to the Hengduan Mountains; it winters in India and northwestern Indochina.
Region
Himalayas and Southwest China; wintering in South Asia and Indochina
Typical Environment
Breeds in temperate to subtropical montane broadleaf and mixed forests, especially oak, rhododendron, and pine zones. Prefers forest edges, clearings, and streamside woodland where open sightlines aid aerial sallies. In winter it descends to lower elevations, using foothill forests, wooded ravines, orchards, and well-treed parks. It is typically found as single birds or pairs in the breeding season and more loosely in mixed flocks outside it.
Altitude Range
300–3600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Males are a vivid ultramarine blue with a striking white eyebrow, while females are brownish and much subtler, making the species notably sexually dimorphic. It breeds in montane forests from eastern Afghanistan through the Himalayas to the Hengduan Mountains and winters in India and northwestern Indochina. The species often hunts by sallying from shaded perches along forest edges and clearings.
Male
Temperament
active and moderately territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with agile, darting sallies
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs during the breeding season, using tree cavities, holes, or sheltered niches for nesting; the nest is a neat cup of moss and fibers. Clutch sizes are small, and both sexes may attend the young. Outside the breeding season it may join mixed-species foraging flocks in wooded habitats.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
The male’s song is a sweet, high-pitched series of clear, warbling phrases delivered from exposed perches. Calls include sharp chips and thin seee notes, often given during foraging and short flights.
