FeatherScan logo
FeatherScan
Overview
White-gorgeted flycatcher

White-gorgeted flycatcher

Wikipedia

The white-gorgeted flycatcher is a species of passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It is native to Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It was formerly placed in the genus Ficedula.

Loading map...

Distribution

Region

Eastern Himalayas and Indochina

Typical Environment

Found from the Himalayan foothills through northeast India, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh (southeast), and into southern China and mainland Southeast Asia including Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. It inhabits subtropical and tropical moist montane forests with dense undergrowth. Birds favor shaded ravines, bamboo thickets, and streamside tangles, where cover is abundant. It is most often encountered below the mid-canopy, close to the ground. Local altitudinal movements occur in some parts of its range.

Altitude Range

300–2500 m

Climate Zone

Subtropical

Characteristics

Size12–13 cm
Wing Span18–22 cm
Male Weight0.013 kg
Female Weight0.012 kg
Life Expectancy6 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

A shy understory flycatcher, the white-gorgeted flycatcher is named for its crisp white throat patch, or 'gorget'. It forages low in dense montane forests, often near streams and bamboo thickets. Formerly placed in Ficedula, it is now assigned to the genus Anthipes based on vocal and genetic evidence.

Gallery

Bird photo
Bird photo

Behaviour

Temperament

shy and skulking

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats

Social Behavior

Usually solitary or in pairs in the breeding season, occasionally joining mixed-species flocks while foraging. Nests are typically cup-shaped and placed low, often in banks, roots, or dense vegetation near streams. Both parents attend the nest and feed the young. Territorial singing males defend small patches of dense understory.

Migratory Pattern

Partial migrant

Song Description

Song is a soft, melodious series of clear whistles delivered from a concealed perch. Calls include thin, high-pitched tseep notes and quiet churring when alarmed.

Similar Bird Species