The white-bellied blue robin or white-bellied sholakili, is a bird of the family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the Shola forests of the higher hills of southern India. The Nilgiri blue robin and this species were once considered separate species, later lumped as sub-species of a single species (major) and elevated again to full species in 2005 by Pamela C. Rasmussen. The species was earlier thought to be related to the shortwings and placed in the genus Brachypteryx and later moved to Myiomela since species in the genus Brachypteryx shows marked sexual dimorphism. In 2017, a study found that this is a sister group of the flycatchers in the genera Niltava, Cyornis and Eumyias among others. It was then placed in newly erected genus Sholicola. This small bird is found on the forest floor and undergrowth of dense forest patches sheltered in the valleys of montane grassland, a restricted and threatened habitat.
Region
Southern Western Ghats, India
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily in shola forest patches and sheltered valley thickets within the southern Western Ghats, including the Anamalai and Palni massifs and adjacent high ranges. It keeps to dense understory, boulder-strewn stream gullies, and edges of mossy evergreen forest. The species is strongly associated with intact shola–grassland mosaics and avoids open or heavily disturbed areas. Fragmentation of these cool, moist forest islands limits dispersal between hilltops.
Altitude Range
1200–2300 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the white-bellied sholakili, this skulking forest robin is confined to the shola (montane evergreen) forests of the southern Western Ghats in India. It was long misclassified with shortwings before genetic work placed it in the Western Ghats–endemic genus Sholicola. It forages on or near the forest floor in dense undergrowth and is highly sensitive to habitat fragmentation. Conservation depends on protecting shola–grassland mosaics and moist valley thickets.
Illustration by Joseph Smit (1867)
In Pampadum Shola National Park, Munnar, Kerala, India
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs within well-defined territories on the forest floor. Nests are placed low in banks, roots, or dense shrubs, often concealed among moss and leaf litter. Pairs maintain year-round territories and are secretive, often hopping and flicking through cover.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of clear, sweet whistles and ringing notes delivered from low perches within dense cover, often at dawn. Calls include thin seep notes and sharp ticks given when alarmed.
