Blue-capped Redstart (Phoenicurus coeruleocephala)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Blue-capped Redstart

Phoenicurus coeruleocephala (Vigors, 1831)

≈14 cmLength15 gWeight

This redstart generally perches among scrub and on branches of tall trees.

Busiest months: February · Most records: India, Kazakhstan, Nepal

Least Concern

How to identify

Where and when it's recorded

Blue-capped Redstart has been recorded at 81 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 9 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. SattalIndia260 records
  2. PangotIndia237 records
  3. Ile Alatau NP – Big Almaty LakeKazakhstan115 records
More places
  1. Wildlife Institute of IndiaIndia59 records
  2. Ile-Alatau NPKazakhstan51 records
  3. Margalla Hills Trail 5Pakistan37 records
  4. West Aspen ValleyChina34 records
  5. [Ala Archa National Park – Ala Archa Hotel area]Kyrgyzstan31 records
  6. Ile-Alatau NP – Tien-Shan Astronomical ObservatoryKazakhstan31 records
  7. Talhaar Ridge - Margalla HillsPakistan27 records

Countries and regions with the most records

IndiaKazakhstanNepalPakistanKyrgyzstanChinaUzbekistanTajikistan

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the Blue-capped Redstart?

The Blue-capped Redstart is about ≈14 cm long and weighs around 15 g.

Where does the Blue-capped Redstart live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: eastern Afghanistan to central Himalayas. It is most often recorded in India, Kazakhstan and Nepal.

When is the best time to see the Blue-capped Redstart?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Blue-capped Redstart endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Blue-capped Redstart as Least Concern.

What does the Blue-capped Redstart eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Blue-capped Redstart in?

It belongs to the family Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
≈14 cm
Weight
15 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
79 mm
Tail
64 mm
Bill
13 mm
Tarsus
22 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: eastern Afghanistan to central Himalayas

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Chats, Old World Flycatchers Muscicapidae
Genus
Phoenicurus

Other birds in the genus Phoenicurus

Eversmann's RedstartEversmann's RedstartPhoenicurus erythronotusBlue-fronted RedstartBlue-fronted RedstartPhoenicurus frontalisWhite-throated RedstartWhite-throated RedstartPhoenicurus schisticepsPlumbeous Water RedstartPlumbeous Water RedstartPhoenicurus fuliginosusLuzon Water RedstartLuzon Water RedstartPhoenicurus bicolorWhite-capped RedstartWhite-capped RedstartPhoenicurus leucocephalusPrzevalski's RedstartPrzevalski's RedstartPhoenicurus alaschanicusBlack RedstartBlack RedstartPhoenicurus ochrurosCommon RedstartCommon RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurusMoussier's RedstartMoussier's RedstartPhoenicurus moussieriDaurian RedstartDaurian RedstartPhoenicurus auroreusHodgson's RedstartHodgson's RedstartPhoenicurus hodgsoni
Blue-capped Redstart

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Avinash Bhagat. ↗

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