Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher

Culicicapa ceylonensis (Swainson, 1820)

12–13 cmLength7.7 gWeight

This small, flycatcher-like bird stands upright and has a gray head, square crown and yellow belly.

Busiest months: February · Most records: India, Thailand, China

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Gray head with a square crown
  2. Canary-yellow belly
  3. Yellow-green upperparts
  4. Flattened bill, almost triangular from above

Male, female and young

Sexes indistinguishable in plumage.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: February · Most records: India, Thailand, China

Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher has been recorded at 875 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 15 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Wildlife Institute of IndiaIndia2,218 records
  2. Bharatpur – Keoladeo Ghana NPIndia1,038 records
  3. SattalIndia864 records
More places
  1. Forest Research Institute (FRI), New Forest CampusIndia807 records
  2. Wildlife Institute of India (WII) – Nature Trail & LakeIndia774 records
  3. Kaeng Krachan NPThailand716 records
  4. Munsyari – Bheema WodeyarIndia660 records
  5. Sangla and AreaNepal635 records
  6. Tai Po Kau Nature ReserveHong Kong (China)592 records
  7. Khao Yai NPThailand586 records

Countries and regions with the most records

IndiaThailandChinaNepalMalaysiaVietnamCambodiaIndonesia

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

About

The grey-headed canary-flycatcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis), sometimes known as the grey-headed flycatcher, is a species of small flycatcher-like bird found in tropical Asia. It has a square crest, a grey hood and yellow underparts. They are found mainly in forested habitats where they often join other birds in mixed-species foraging flocks.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher?

The Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher is about 12–13 cm long and weighs around 7.7 g.

Where does the Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: widespread, also Lesser Sundas. It is most often recorded in India, Thailand and China.

When is the best time to see the Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher?

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

Is the Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher as Least Concern.

What does the Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher in?

It belongs to the family Fairy Flycatchers (Stenostiridae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
12–13 cm
Weight
7.7 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
58 mm
Tail
48 mm
Bill
12 mm
Tarsus
12 mm

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

Range

Oriental: widespread, also Lesser Sundas

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 1
  • Culicicapa ceylonensis calochrysea Himalayas to ne, c India e to c China and n, c Indochina

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Fairy Flycatchers Stenostiridae
Genus
Culicicapa

Other birds in the genus Culicicapa

Citrine Canary-flycatcherCitrine Canary-flycatcherCulicicapa heliantheaYellow-bellied FantailYellow-bellied FantailChelidorhynx hypoxanthusFairy FlycatcherFairy FlycatcherStenostira scitaAfrican Blue FlycatcherAfrican Blue FlycatcherElminia longicaudaWhite-tailed Blue FlycatcherWhite-tailed Blue FlycatcherElminia albicaudaDusky Crested FlycatcherDusky Crested FlycatcherElminia nigromitrataWhite-bellied Crested FlycatcherWhite-bellied Crested FlycatcherElminia albiventrisWhite-tailed Crested FlycatcherWhite-tailed Crested FlycatcherElminia albonotata
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/). ↗

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