Himalayan Shortwing (Brachypteryx cruralis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Himalayan Shortwing

Brachypteryx cruralis (Blyth, 1843)

≈14 cmLength18 gWeight

This shy small bird hides in dark, dense vegetation and favors the ground or places close to it.

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

Least Concern

How to identify

Where and when it's recorded

Himalayan Shortwing has been recorded at 96 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 8 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Doi Inthanon NP – summitThailand1,428 records
  2. Doi Inthanon NPThailand543 records
  3. Baihualing [General Area]China142 records
More places
  1. Doi Inthanon NP – Mae Ouam (Km 34.5)Thailand76 records
  2. Mt. Phulchowki - Lowest Few Miles of RoadNepal56 records
  3. Labahe NNRChina53 records
  4. Wawu Mountain – Summit [2800m]China36 records
  5. Hailuogou Glacier Forest ParkChina35 records
  6. Doi Inthanon NP – Jeep Track (Km 37.5)Thailand30 records
  7. Longcanggou [General Area]China24 records

Countries and regions with the most records

ThailandChinaNepalBhutanIndiaMyanmar (Burma)VietnamLaos

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 shortwing (Brachypteryx cruralis) is a species of chat. This species is now classified in the family Muscicapidae.

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

Questions

How big is the Himalayan Shortwing?

The Himalayan Shortwing is about ≈14 cm long and weighs around 18 g.

Where does the Himalayan Shortwing live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: central Himalayas and Myanmar to south-central, southern China, northwestern Thailand and northern Indochina. It is most often recorded in Thailand, China and Nepal.

When is the best time to see the Himalayan Shortwing?

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

Is the Himalayan Shortwing endangered?

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

What does the Himalayan Shortwing eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Himalayan Shortwing in?

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

At a glance

Length
≈14 cm
Weight
18 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
64 mm
Tail
55 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
31 mm

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

Range

Oriental: central Himalayas and Myanmar to south-central, southern China, northwestern Thailand and northern Indochina

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

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

Other birds in the genus Brachypteryx

Chinese ShortwingChinese ShortwingBrachypteryx sinensisTaiwan ShortwingTaiwan ShortwingBrachypteryx goodfellowiRusty-bellied ShortwingRusty-bellied ShortwingBrachypteryx hyperythraLesser ShortwingLesser ShortwingBrachypteryx leucophrisPhilippine ShortwingPhilippine ShortwingBrachypteryx poliogynaBornean ShortwingBornean ShortwingBrachypteryx erythrogynaSumatran ShortwingSumatran ShortwingBrachypteryx saturataJavan ShortwingJavan ShortwingBrachypteryx montanaFlores ShortwingFlores ShortwingBrachypteryx florisWhite-tailed AletheWhite-tailed AletheAlethe diademata
Himalayan Shortwing

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

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