Bird Album
Lesser Shortwing
Brachypteryx leucophris (Temminck, 1828)
≈12 cmLength16 gWeight
This bird mainly inhabits scrub near streams in the understory of evergreen broadleaf forest.
Busiest months: November–December · Most records: China, Indonesia, Malaysia
How to identify
Where and when it's recorded
Lesser Shortwing has been recorded at 230 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 11 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Bukit FraserMalaysia756 records
- Tai Lam Country ParkHong Kong (China)619 records
- Tai Po Kau Nature ReserveHong Kong (China)469 records
More places
- Pat Heung Catchwater, Tai LamHong Kong (China)300 records
- Southern slopes of Gng. Kerinci, Jambi, SumatraIndonesia233 records
- Kebun Raya Eka Karya BaliIndonesia210 records
- Gunung Gede Pangrango NPIndonesia198 records
- Gunung Gede Pangrango NP – Waterfall TrailIndonesia184 records
- Doi Inthanon NPThailand180 records
- Bukit Fraser – Bishop TrailMalaysia171 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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 lesser shortwing (Brachypteryx leucophris) 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 Lesser Shortwing?
The Lesser Shortwing is about ≈12 cm long and weighs around 16 g.
Where does the Lesser Shortwing live?
Its breeding range: Oriental, Australasia: montane northwestern India through eastern China and Vietnam, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java and Bali, and Lombok to Timor and Wetar (western to eastern Lesser Sundas). It is most often recorded in China, Indonesia and Malaysia.
When is the best time to see the Lesser Shortwing?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November and December (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Lesser Shortwing endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Lesser Shortwing as Least Concern.
What does the Lesser Shortwing eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Lesser Shortwing in?
It belongs to the family Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- ≈12 cm
- Weight
- 16 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 57 mm
- Tail
- 34 mm
- Bill
- 14 mm
- Tarsus
- 26 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Oriental, Australasia: montane northwestern India through eastern China and Vietnam, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java and Bali, and Lombok to Timor and Wetar (western to eastern Lesser Sundas)
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Subspecies · 2
- Brachypteryx leucophris nipalensis Himalayas to w, n Myanmar and sc China
- Brachypteryx leucophris carolinae s, se China, e Myanmar, ne Thailand and n Indochina
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Chats, Old World Flycatchers Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Brachypteryx
Other birds in the genus Brachypteryx
Himalayan ShortwingBrachypteryx cruralis
Chinese ShortwingBrachypteryx sinensis
Taiwan ShortwingBrachypteryx goodfellowi
Rusty-bellied ShortwingBrachypteryx hyperythra
Philippine ShortwingBrachypteryx poliogyna
Bornean ShortwingBrachypteryx erythrogyna
Sumatran ShortwingBrachypteryx saturata
Javan ShortwingBrachypteryx montana
Flores ShortwingBrachypteryx floris
White-tailed AletheAlethe diademata
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Nick Volpe. ↗
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