Himalayan Bluetail (Tarsiger rufilatus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Himalayan Bluetail

Tarsiger rufilatus (Hodgson, 1845)

≈14 cmLength13 gWeight

This small bird weighs about 13 g, breeds in the Himalayas in summer and descends to lower elevations in winter.

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

Looks like Red-flanked Bluetail

Least Concern

How to identify

Male, female and young

Adult male more intensely blue, and female and juvenile grayer, than Red-flanked Bluetail.

Similar species

Red-flanked Bluetail
Red-flanked Bluetail

Formerly treated as a subspecies of Red-flanked Bluetail; adult males of this species are more intensely blue, females and juveniles grayer, and it does not migrate over such long distances.

Where and when it's recorded

Himalayan Bluetail has been recorded at 254 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 9 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Baihualing [General Area]China468 records
  2. SattalIndia395 records
  3. ChelelaBhutan225 records
More places
  1. Doi Inthanon NP – summitThailand207 records
  2. PangotIndia202 records
  3. Doi Pha Hom Pok NP – Doi Lang (E)Thailand199 records
  4. Mt. PhulchowkiNepal176 records
  5. Doi Pha Hom Pok NP – Doi Lang (W), AKA Doi San JuThailand118 records
  6. Laifengshan National Forest ParkChina117 records
  7. MengbishanChina109 records

Countries and regions with the most records

ChinaIndiaThailandNepalBhutanMyanmar (Burma)PakistanLaos

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 Himalayan bluetail (Tarsiger rufilatus), also called the Himalayan red-flanked bush-robin or orange-flanked bush-robin, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher of Muscicapidae.

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

Questions

How big is the Himalayan Bluetail?

The Himalayan Bluetail is about ≈14 cm long and weighs around 13 g.

Where does the Himalayan Bluetail live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: western Himalayas to central China. It is most often recorded in China, India and Thailand.

When is the best time to see the Himalayan Bluetail?

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

Is the Himalayan Bluetail endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Himalayan Bluetail as Least Concern.

What does the Himalayan Bluetail eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Himalayan Bluetail in?

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

At a glance

Length
≈14 cm
Weight
13 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
78 mm
Tail
60 mm
Bill
14 mm
Tarsus
25 mm

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

Range

Oriental: western Himalayas to central China

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 1
  • Tarsiger rufilatus rufilatus c Himalayas to c China

Classification

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

Other birds in the genus Tarsiger

White-browed Bush RobinWhite-browed Bush RobinTarsiger indicusTaiwan Bush RobinTaiwan Bush RobinTarsiger formosanusGolden Bush RobinGolden Bush RobinTarsiger chrysaeusCollared Bush RobinCollared Bush RobinTarsiger johnstoniaeRufous-breasted Bush RobinRufous-breasted Bush RobinTarsiger hyperythrusRed-flanked BluetailRed-flanked BluetailTarsiger cyanurusQilian BluetailQilian BluetailTarsiger albocoeruleusWhite-tailed AletheWhite-tailed AletheAlethe diademataFire-crested AletheFire-crested AletheAlethe castaneaKaroo Scrub RobinKaroo Scrub RobinTychaedon coryphoeus
Himalayan Bluetail

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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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