Rusty-bellied Shortwing (Brachypteryx hyperythra)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Rusty-bellied Shortwing

Brachypteryx hyperythra Blyth, 1861

≈12 cmLength16 gWeight

This shortwing stays close to the ground, hiding in dense forest, scrub and bamboo thickets.

Busiest months: April · Most records: India, China, Bhutan

Near Threatened

How to identify

Where and when it's recorded

Rusty-bellied Shortwing has been recorded at 6 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Dihing Patkai NP – SoraipungIndia18 records
  2. Dulong River ValleyChina10 records
  3. GeduBhutan8 records
More places
  1. Maguri BeelIndia6 records
  2. Dihing Patkai NP – SoraipungIndia5 records
  3. DezhingChina1 record

Countries and regions with the most records

IndiaChinaBhutan

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 Rusty-bellied Shortwing?

The Rusty-bellied Shortwing is about ≈12 cm long and weighs around 16 g.

Where does the Rusty-bellied Shortwing live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: eastern Himalayas, northeastern India. It is most often recorded in India, China and Bhutan.

When is the best time to see the Rusty-bellied Shortwing?

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

Is the Rusty-bellied Shortwing endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Rusty-bellied Shortwing as Near Threatened.

What does the Rusty-bellied Shortwing eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Rusty-bellied 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
Near Threatened
More measurements
Wing
60 mm
Tail
40 mm
Bill
14 mm
Tarsus
27 mm

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

Range

Oriental: eastern Himalayas, northeastern India

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

Himalayan ShortwingHimalayan ShortwingBrachypteryx cruralisChinese ShortwingChinese ShortwingBrachypteryx sinensisTaiwan ShortwingTaiwan ShortwingBrachypteryx goodfellowiLesser ShortwingLesser ShortwingBrachypteryx leucophrisPhilippine ShortwingPhilippine ShortwingBrachypteryx poliogynaBornean ShortwingBornean ShortwingBrachypteryx erythrogynaSumatran ShortwingSumatran ShortwingBrachypteryx saturataJavan ShortwingJavan ShortwingBrachypteryx montanaFlores ShortwingFlores ShortwingBrachypteryx florisWhite-tailed AletheWhite-tailed AletheAlethe diademata
Rusty-bellied Shortwing

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

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